The New Orleans Pelicans pulled the trigger on a move not many fans thought they would, extending wing Saddiq Bey to a three-year, $55 million deal. Bey was eligible for a four-year, $93 million deal, so getting him for a sub-$20 million annual salary is a massive win, especially since he's coming off a career year.
With Bey getting extended, trade chatter about Trey Murphy III has reignited.
Considering the Pelicans have Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Bey now all locked in to long-term deals, someone likely is on the outs. In a perfect world, that player on the outs may be Jones, who has had back-to-back down seasons offensively and took a minor step back defensively last season too. But that's likely why Jones is here to stay.
With his value likely at an all-time low, and the upside he can provide as an All-Defensive-caliber defender, there’s more of an incentive to bet on him getting back to form than to sell. Murphy III, on the other hand, is only seeing his value rise as one of the league's premium plug-and-play wings, providing elite off-ball scoring and size. On top of that, Murphy III and Bey’s styles of play don’t mesh as well as Bey and Jones do.
Could this be the beginning of the end for Murphy III?
Murphy III has continued to be linked to different teams throughout the offseason, as his skill set could fit on basically any team.
For a while, the Pelicans have been firm on their asking price for Murphy III, and I don’t expect that to change. But now with Bey locked in as a part of their future, the incentive to trade Murphy III and round out the rest of this roster is way higher than it’s ever been because you have a starting-caliber wing right behind him. Obviously, Bey could post similar numbers to his 17.7 points per game with a 36.7 percent three-point clip off the bench. But to really reach those heights, he would probably have to start.
Right now, he has three players comfortably ahead of him as starters in Murphy III, Jones, and Zion Williamson. Someone's got to go to open up that spot at some point, and given his value, Murphy III makes the most sense.
That doesn’t mean fans should expect a crazy splash before the season starts, like the Pelicans trading Murphy III for two players and three draft picks. However, if he has another year averaging 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 37.9 percent from three, trading him at peak value would make sense. Again, that’s not to say anything will happen soon, but it does feel less crazy to say that Murphy III's future in New Orleans is super cloudy with Bey receiving that extension.
We saw the Boston Celtics trade Jaylen Brown this summer mainly for financial flexibility and to round out their roster. Although Murphy III is on a way more team-friendly deal than Brown, if you’re the Pelicans, what value is there in having three wings who all thrive as starters? Instead, you could round out the rest of your roster and add future assets by dealing one of them.
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