4 Pelicans players who improved their trade value in 2023

Trey Murphy III, SG

Trey Murphy III was the Pelicans’ 2021 first-round pick, going 17th overall, but he didn’t get much run in his rookie year, playing a few stints in the G-League and averaging just 5.4 points in 13.9 minutes in the 61 games he played in. Murphy had one of the biggest jumps of anyone in the NBA this past season, so big that he finished seventh in the voting for Most Improved Player.

Green clearly saw something during the offseason, because Murphy’s minutes jumped from 13.9 to 31.0, which led to spikes in every major statistical category. Not only did the bump in playing time lead to increased production, but far more importantly, it led to increased efficiency as well, as Murphy jumped from 39 to 48 percent from the field, 38 to 41 from deep, 42 to 61 on two-point field goals, and 88 to 91 from the charity stripe.

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Murphy had great success whether the Pelicans were healthy or not, actually scoring more when he was in the lineup with Ingram, which is a positive sign for his future in New Orleans. Murphy’s ceiling is sky high, so the Pelicans would do well to keep him around and see how he can grow on this youthful team, but if the worst should happen, New Orleans could get a hefty package for the 22-year-old up-and-comer.