Trey Murphy III fires off a hot take about Victor Wembanyama

It’s the offseason, so Trey Murphy III, unfortunately, can’t fire off any hot shooting performances right now. So, to make up for it, he’s firing off some hot takes.

On a recent episode of the Road Trippin’ podcast, Murphy was put on the spot and asked who he would rather have for one year: Victor Wembanyama or Chet Holmgren. His answer to that question may surprise some people.

"“I’m probably gonna take Chet [Holmgren],” Murphy said on the Road Trippin’ podcast."

Since the 2023 NBA Draft cycle began, Wembanyama has been viewed as not only the clear number-one overall pick but also as one of the greatest prospects ever. So, Murphy picking Holmgren (someone who didn’t even go first in his own draft class) over Wembanyama probably raised a couple of eyebrows. However, there is a pretty logical explanation behind his decision.

"“[Holmgren] has a little bit of grit to him,” Murphy said. “You can tell that he isn’t soft. That’s, that’s the easiest way to say this. … [Holmgren] plays with like a sort of tenacity that bigs need and then also he’s very skilled and he’s a little more polished than Victor is and I feel like he can shoot the ball better.”"

Remember, the question he was asked is who he would take for a year. So, when Murphy picks Holmgren over Wembanyama, he isn’t saying that he thinks that Holmgren will have the better overall career. He just thinks he’s ready to make a more immediate impact. It is also interesting to hear that Murphy – a great shooter in his own right – has more faith in Holmgren’s jumper than he does in Wembanyama’s. That bit of insight is worth bookmarking.

And before you proceed to bash Murphy for his take, also remember that he is considering how each player will fit on their respective team. Here is what he had to say about that part:

"“You also have to look at that team, too,” Murphy said. “[The Thunder] needed a big last year — needed rim protection. [Holmgren] is going to be great for them.”"

Since Holmgren missed the entire 2022-23 season with a right foot injury, this year will technically be both his and Wembanyama’s rookie season. It will be interesting to see which one of these unicorn bigs is more impactful to their team right out of the gate.