San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray has much in common with Kevin Porter Jr. of the Houston Rockets. Both are young guards from the Seattle area, and they now play in the same state and NBA division.
On Saturday, they faced off at Jamal Crawford’s offseason pro-am in Seattle. Porter Jr. clearly held his own versus an impressive defender in Murray, with a final line of 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists. For his part, Murray also dominated with 44 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists.
In the aftermath, however, it was all love between the rising talents. Murray shared a photo with Porter Jr. on his Instagram page, with a caption informing the Houston star that Murray was proud of him.
Then, on the “Ball Don’t Stop” page, Murray took it a step further in the comments section. Here’s how the exchange went:
Initial comment: Cavs really just released Kevin Porter Jr. like nothing. Smh [Shaking my head]
Murray’s reply: A MISTAKE THEY WILL REGRET FOREVER!!!!
The Cavaliers technically didn’t release Porter Jr., since he was traded for a future second-round draft pick. However, the protections on the pick are so significant that it might not ever convey. It was a strikingly low price to pay for a first-round pick from the 2019 draft, but Cleveland felt motivated to move on after a series of concerning off-court incidents.
But with assistant coach and former NBA player John Lucas leading the way as a key mentor, Porter Jr. hasn’t had those types of problems in Houston. A 6-foot-4 guard, the 21-year-old averaged 16.6 points and 6.3 assists in 32.1 minutes per game with the Rockets. The lefty is considered to be a key member of the young core at the center of Houston’s rebuilding efforts, per general manager Rafael Stone, and it certainly helps having accomplished players like Murray vouch for his talent.
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