Trade rumors are swirling about Trey Murphy III. While we wait to see if the Pelicans pull the trigger on a Murphy trade, another Pelicans player’s future may be decided along with Murphy’s. If the sharpshooter gets sent out of New Orleans, Zion Williamson shouldn’t be far behind.
With players like Jaylen Brown and Kawhi Leonard traded to new teams, it seems like Murphy is the next player up. The rumor mill around the Pelicans forward is heating up as fast as the temperature outside.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Lakers all called Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver ahead of last season’s trade deadline.
Some of those teams have dropped out thanks to other acquisitions, but Scotto reports the Celtics, Pistons, Warriors, Clippers, and Hawks are all still interested in Murphy now.
Trey Murphy III is arguably the NBA’s hottest trade candidate right now
Murphy’s value may never be higher than right now. If Dumars and Weaver are seriously considering trading their prized forward, this would be the time to do it. Scotto also reports that the Pelicans’ asking price has dropped from four first-round draft picks to three. Could this be enough to convince a team to trade for Murphy?
While we wait for the Murphy trade chatter to come to some sort of conclusion, the Pelicans must also consider what their team will look like if Murphy is indeed traded. I’ve written in the past about how any trade of Murphy must be the spark that sets off a rebuild. This can still happen. And the player who should follow Murphy out the door should be Zion Williamson.
If you trade Murphy you are getting rid of your best three-point shooter, something the Pelicans were already short on. It’s also something the Pelicans desperately need around Williamson.
It makes sense on and off the court to trade Williamson after Murphy. Once Murphy is gone, there will still be numerous teams looking for a star player. They would have already missed out on Leonard, Brown, and Murphy. If the Pelicans make Williamson available, he could be the next player up in a very active offseason. Williamson’s value may not be very high now, but all it takes is one desperate team for that to change. Williamson has had a lot of issues, but he stayed relatively healthy last season. And there are no questions about whether he can perform when healthy.
If Murphy ends up getting traded for draft picks, the Pelicans need to go into full rebuild mode. And if they do that, Williamson needs to be the next player to go.
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