The Portland Trail Blazers are one of a few teams rumored to have interest in New Orleans Pelicans rising star Trey Murphy III. New Orleans is open to listening to offers for both Murphy and Herb Jones. However, they also have a steep asking price that is intended to turn teams away.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints recently reported that "a minimum of two unprotected first-round picks" is the starting point in negotiations for either Murphy or Jones. While Siegel adds that it's increasingly likely that both players will remain in New Orleans past the deadline, this asking price actually seems encouraging for the Blazers' chances.
Trey Murphy III is the one star Blazers must pursue at the deadline
That's certainly steep, but it's not unreasonable to the point where they should be considered untouchable. After all, Desmond Bane just went for four unprotected first-round picks this past offseason, and Murphy is a more intriguing asset.
The Blazers have historically been quiet at the trade deadline in years past, but they could finally be ready to make a splash. Portland has a clear star in Deni Avdija and is 9th in the Western Conference despite its frustrating and seemingly never-ending injury crisis. In other words, they could be Trey Murphy piece away from the postseason.
Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has shown a willingness to attach valuable draft capital in trades to land more established players, as was the case in the Avdija deal. Like Avdija, Murphy is a perfect fit for Portland's rebuild, both in terms of their roster vision and timeline at 25 years old.
The Blazers have patiently stockpiled draft capital and young assets throughout their rebuild. They're now at the point where they should consider consolidating to upgrade their starting lineup if the right opportunity presents itself. Murphy is one of those special talents worth going all-in on.
Offensively, he'd be a solid secondary option, giving Avdija a legitimate co-star that only continues to get better. Defensively, Murphy has tremendous positional size at 6-foot-8, which provides him with the versatility that Portland's front office covets.
The Blazers shouldn't look to go star hunting at the deadline just for the sake of it. They still have leverage to wait for the right fit. But if Murphy isn't the right fit, I'm not sure who is.
Of course, this ultimately depends on how much the Pelicans are actually asking for to sign off on the deal. But two first-round picks as a starting point in negotiations should signal to Portland that this is a dream trade option worth exploring further.