Two weeks ago was the 2022 NBA Draft and the San Antonio Spurs took a chance on Malaki Branham at pick 20. Since the draft happened, the Spurs made a move that could allow the Ohio State basketball product to take on a heavy workload in his rookie year.
The Atlanta Hawks are trading Danilo Gallinari and multiple first-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs for All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022
The Spurs traded their All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks. Murray was the number one scoring option in San Antonio, and he was also their main playmaker. The main option for the Spurs now is third-year forward Keldon Johnson.
Murray averaged nearly a triple-double while playing for the Spurs. Johnson averaged 17 points per game and just 6 rebounds per game. Johnson is not close to the same caliber that Murray is, which makes me think that the main option spot will be up for grabs.
Branham is no playmaker like Murray was for the Spurs, but an argument is there to be had that he is a better scorer than Murray. We all know how gifted of a scorer Branham is after his stellar freshman season as a Buckeye. If he’s given the right opportunity, Branham could quickly become the main scoring threat in San Antonio.
The Spurs are currently in a rebuild. They will be looking for bright pieces to build their future around. I think this fits perfectly for Branham to thrive in his role coming into his rookie season. He’s going into a great organization, a great system, and Branham is going to have one of the greatest coaches to ever coach game help develop him. Branham’s skill set will allow him to be a pivotal piece for many years to come.
With the Spurs moving on from Murray, it opens up a lot of options. Branham could see himself getting used a lot in his first season and that would be huge for him moving forward in his NBA career. Even though he will have big shoes to fill trying to replace Dejounte Murray, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he comes in and averages anywhere between 18 and 22 points per game in his rookie season.
Check out Branham in his first NBA Summer League game with the Spurs tomorrow against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 5:00 Eastern Time on NBA TV.
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