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Former Washington Huskies guard Dejounte Murray, who worked out for the Suns on Friday, has seen his draft stock soar.
Dejounte Murray is fast, but that has not been the sort of closing speed that most impresses.
Murray was rated the 16th-best point guard in his national high school recruiting class before playing his first game for Washington in November. Just seven months later, he might be the third point guard taken in this month’s NBA draft, with more development to come.
Kentucky’s Jamal Murray and Providence’s Kris Dunn are considered to be the point guards ahead of Dejounte Murray, who averaged 16.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals as a Huskies freshman.
Jamal Murray is considered a combo guard, just as Dejounte Murray was before learning NBA teams see a point guard in his explosive but spindly 6foot-5, 170-pound frame with 6-11 wingspan. Dunn, 22, is a true point guard but where was he as a freshman? Averaging 5.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Where will be Dejounte Murray be at 22?
“He’s not afraid to mix it up,” Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said. “He’s not afraid of contact for a thin guy. He’s got a bright future. He’s probably one of the top point guard prospects in the draft.”
Murray worked out alone for the Suns on Friday, just as he previously had in his first team visit with Utah, which has the 12th pick. He will return to Cleveland, where he is training, for a workout with Chicago (picking 14th) before working out for Milwaukee (picking 10th) on June 17 and New Orleans (picking sixth) on June 19.
Murray is seen as a point guard because of his ball-handling, which can be flashy or prudent, and his ability to rebound for quick starts to the transition game. He once grabbed 30 rebounds in a high school game at Seattle’s Rainier Beach, where his mentor, 16-year pro Jamal Crawford, attended, as well as Nate Robinson and Doug Christie.
Murray has shown pick-and-roll acumen – although he committed 3.2 turnovers per game – and an ability to finish well at the rim with “slippery” drives that McDonough said most tall guards do not possess.
“I definitely see myself as a point guard but, at the end of the day, whatever team drafts me and whatever the coach needs me to do,” Murray said. “If the coach needs me to run the team, I have the potential and the IQ to run the team. And I’m really coachable so that wouldn’t be hard for me. I can score whenever I feel like I want to or when the coach needs me to and just do everything, like little things like rebound, make my team feel important, play defense and help my team win.”
Murray’s jump shot is questionable, especially without much strength on his frame. He made 29 percent of his 3-pointers, 34 percent of his mid-range shots and 66 percent of his free throws as a freshman.
Murray said he has cleaned up mechanics while training in Cleveland over the past two months, working on a consistent form, squaring up his footwork and releasing on the rise. He skipped the draft combine in June and trained for two months in Cleveland as a client of agent Rich Paul, who represents Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe and Cavaliers superstar LeBron James.
Bledsoe attended Murray's Phoenix workout Friday. James, even during an NBA Finals run, regularly has checked in on him and another Paul client, projected top pick Ben Simmons.
“It’s surreal for me because that was my favorite player ever since he entered the league,” Murray said of James.
The Suns have a loaded backcourt, featuring Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Devin Booker, but Murray said he would not be afraid to compete. It is the same moxie he shows when talking about competing in the NBA with a slender build.
“My quickness,” Murray said. “I just got heart. I ain’t scared of nobody. I don’t let the weight stuff get in the way of anything. I know I’ve got to get stronger. I know everybody here is quicker, stronger. I love to work and I’m not scared of no one.”
Murray said having an individual workout allowed him to show how he handles fatigue, but the Suns would prefer group workouts. Murray is the sixth player to workout individually for the Suns in nine days, much more than past years.