Ranking 7 former Ime Udoka players the Rockets could trade for

Former Udoka players No. 5: Dejounte Murray

Ime Udoka was on the Spurs' staff when they drafted Dejounte Murray, a top recruit who had an up-and-down season for the Washington Huskies as a freshman before entering the draft. Murray's All-Star blossoming came with Udoka gone, but there is still likely some sort of connection between the two.

If so, Murray represents the kind of player who should thrive alongside Jalen Green. He is an excellent defender with great length (even more so when he doesn't have a massive offensive load), he has improved his jumpshot (34.4 percent on a career-high 5.2 attempts from 3 this season) and is a connective passer, the kind of guard the Rockets haven't found to complement Green yet.

Murray arrived in Atlanta last offseason as the player who wa supposed to push them back into contention; instead they limped into the playoffs as the seventh seed (eighth-best record in the East). Murray and Trae Young were never a seamless fit on offense, and Murray's ball-hawking style on defense is great at sparking transition opportunities but didn't cover up for Young's complete lack of impact on that end.

If the Hawks decide to cut their losses this offseason, the Rockets should make a call. They can offer Atlanta multiple young players and picks, even providing salary relief for a player like John Collins. Murray and Udoka weren't together for each other's prime, but Udoka looks like a coach who would love to oversee the next chapter in Murray's career.