Trey Murphy's minor injury could impact Pelicans in more ways than one

The New Orleans Pelicans were set to embark on a crucial training camp. This year, the team really needed this period before season tip-off to integrate all of their new pieces. Players like Dejounte Murray, Daniel Theis, and rookie Yves Missi will be getting their first full runs with the Pelicans this training camp.

Not to mention that there's plenty of potential change for the returning pieces as well. For instance, Zion Williamson will be bringing a new body and possibly a new playstyle into the upcoming season. The entire team could see a shift in how they approach the game actually, as a constant theme from New Orleans's Media Day revolved around the need to play small next season due to the roster's lack of reliable centers. That will mean playing faster on both ends of the court, a concerted effort to "gang rebound," and different roles across the board.

Training camp is an imperative designated period for NBA teams to build confidence, familiarity with their systems, and chemistry. That makes something like Trey Murphy III's new injury devastating news for a squad with high hopes for next season. Not only will it keep TMIII out of camp, but it could also have some monumental aftereffects too.

Trey Murphy III's hamstring injury could affect his extension and the Pelicans starting lineup for next season

According to reports, Trey Murphy strained his hamstring in practice in the early days of training camp, resulting in an injury that will keep him out of team activities for at least three weeks. This will keep the fourth-year forward off of the court, preventing him from building on-court camaraderie with his new teammates, and could result in a slow start for him once he can play again.

Unfortunately, the on-court consequences aren't the only things to worry about after his injury. This offseason, the Pelicans are eligible to sign Murphy to his rookie-scale extension. If they don't get a deal done, he'll head to restricted free agency next summer, meaning that other teams coveting a 6'9" athletic 3-and-D wing with potential could price New Orleans out of re-signing TMIII. If they want to prevent that, Vice President David Griffin and the rest of the Pelicans brass have until October 21 to reach an agreement with Murphy.

Now that he'll be sidelined for the rest of training camp, the team can only go off of what they've already seen from him to decide what they want to offer him. This shouldn't have any drastic effects since they already have three years worth of tape, but it certainly won't help the negotiations.

Not only could this hamstring injury influence Murphy's financial security, it could potentially wind up costing him a starting role. At Media Day, Head Coach Willie Green disclosed that he still doesn't have a starting lineup set yet, but he did say that he wants to find a group he likes in camp. He also stated that he'd like to stick with a solid starting five in order to build continuity throughout the season.

With Murphy III out for the remainder of training camp, it'll be impossible for him to build on-court familiarity within a potential starting five. If Coach Green sticks to what he said at Media Day, it could mean that Murphy's injury just cost him a shot at a starting spot. We'll see if that turns out to be true.