SALT LAKE CITY — Twelve months ago, Dejounte Murray was an “outsider” looking in.

The Spurs had just drafted the 2016 first-round pick, who wasn’t expected to fall to 29th overall. Murray was in Utah then, ready to start his NBA journey.

The times have changed.

“Now I’m a part of this family,” Murray said. “I know what to do, so now I’m leading.”

Murray is ready to embark on his second Summer League, and the beginning of an important two-month agenda.

Murray, 20, knows he could be counted on early next season, with Tony Parker still rehabbing from a ruptured left quadriceps tendon.

Patty Mills did agree to re-sign with the team (reportedly a four-year, $50 million deal) on the first day of free agency, and the Spurs drafted guard Derrick White in the first round last month.

But Murray is the point guard in the spotlight.

“I’m thankful for the season I had last year, but it was my rookie year,” he said. “I got a long way to go.”

Among the things Murray is hoping to work on over the next few weeks in Utah and Las Vegas is his mid-range jumper. He shot 14.3 percent from the mid-range area last season.

He’s better at getting to the basket (converted 53.7 percent in the restricted area, and 44.7 percent in the non-restricted area), and wasn’t that bad beyond the arc, an area NBA scouts mentioned he needed to work on, converting 9 of 23 shots from 3.

Though enhancing his offense and defense is among the goals, floor leadership is what coaches want Murray to work on the most.

“Our main instructions for him are to organize the team,” said Spurs assistant coach Will Hardy, who is charged with leading the summer league roster. “We’re going to put him in a lot of situations where he has the ball and he’s making decisions. He has to continue to find the balance of when to be aggressive for himself and when to make plays for his teammates.

“Tony has been good at that for so long and it’s a big part of what has made our offense go. Tony’s ability to create for himself and create for his teammates, in Dejounte, we see that as being a similarity between the two. He’ll continue to figure out that balance.”

Murray has already shown signs he will be up to the task. One day after the Spurs were eliminated from the postseason, he posted a photo to his Snapchat account showing he was back at the team’s practice site working on his game.

“Those Seattle guys,” said Hardy, referring to Murray’s hometown. “I don’t know what it is about Seattle. They are all hoopers. They’re all gym rats and love to play. They love to work. I still have yet to figure out what’s in the water out in Seattle, but he loves the gym.

“(Murray) loves basketball. He likes to work. And he knows he has to improve. He’s not where he wants to be. He’s not where we want him to be yet. But he’s on his way and he knows there is a lot of work ahead.”

Murray is counting on his experience to aid him entering Summer League. He played in 38 games this past season, starting in eight. He was challenged with his first career playoff start in the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets.

Murray finished with two points and two rebounds on 1-of-5 shooting in Game 3, but bounced back in Game 4 (eight points and three rebounds) and then completed the series with an 11-point, 10-rebound, five-assist performance in Game 6.

Following Summer League, Murray will head to San Diego to work out with Kawhi Leonard, an invitation he was more than happy to accept.

“He wants me there with him because he knows I want to get better and he knows how great I want to be,” Murray said. “He’s a great player; still adding to his legacy. If somebody invites me to get better, I want to be right there.”

Also on the to-do list? Speaking with LeBron James, who just so happens to share an agent with Murray. Murray said he didn’t want to converse with James during the season, but plans to talk basketball with the Cleveland Cavaliers star soon.

Said Murray: “That’s someone who took me under his wing and has been great to me.”

The Summer of Murray starts Monday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center against the Jazz.

“It’s a great opportunity for him to continue to develop as a leader, organizer, decision-maker,” Hardy said. “He’s going to run the show. It’s his team for the summer.”

jyoung@express-news.net

Twitter: @JabariJYoung