When you have a start as bad as the New Orleans Pelicans have had, your best players are bound to be thrown in mock trades and rumors. And while rumors surrounding Zion Williamson suggest the Pelicans are desperate and will take the first decent offer they get, that doesn't appear to be the case if the front office elects to trade Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones.
NBA insider Jake Fischer recently did a livestream with Bleacher Report. When talking about the Pelicans, he mentioned that he is starting to hear New Orleans is showing some willingness to listen to offers on both Murphy III and Jones. He also said that if they were made fully available, they would have a ton of value on the trade market.
"Those guys are going to have a lot of interest around the league. They're both on very strong long-term contracts that are considered relatively team-friendly. Under $30 million in average annual value, which is a big threshold in this current market."Jake Fischer
Now this shouldn't come as a significant surprise. Pelicans fans know how valuable these two wings can be, especially on a team playing winning basketball, and while it may be hard for fans to be comfortable with parting ways, it may be what's best for the franchise's future.
What could a return look like?
During the offseason, it was rumored that the team's asking price for Murphy III was a vet who can contribute to winning, young players with potential, and multiple first-round picks. This type of package may not be enough, given how he has started the season.
Murphy III is averaging 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game to start this season, and that's despite a bad first couple of games where he was shooting sub-40 percent from the field. Since November 11th, Murphy III has averaged nearly 23 points per game.
This season, Murphy III has shown he is more than an off-ball scorer and three-and-D wing—he is a bounified iso scorer who can still guard and be a threat off the ball. That makes him the perfect wing for any contending team, so as much as fans may not want to part ways with him. In their current state, the Pelicans can't turn down what I'd assume could be a return of four first-round picks and young talent for Murphy III.
I mean, look at the return the Memphis Grizzlies got for Desmond Bane...you're telling me New Orleans could get that, if not more, for Murphy III.
The same goes for Herb Jones, who, despite being injured right now and having his fair share of injury history, is still a top-five defender in the world when he plays. He wouldn't net as big a return as Murphy III, but I still think we are in the ballpark of at least two first-round picks and young talent.
New Orleans wouldn't be able to trade Jones today like they could with Murphy III because Jones signed an extension this offseason, and he isn't eligible to be traded till January 14th. However, if the Pelicans front office does trade either of these guys, it's safe to assume they'll take their time, and a move likely won't happen till or extremely close to the February 5th trade deadline.