In a surprising turn of events, the New Orleans Pelicans have informed teams that essentially their entire young core is off the market this trade season, NBA insider Chris Haynes reports. Their extensive list of untouchables includes rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, and most importantly, Trey Murphy III.
For the Portland Trail Blazers' sake, let's hope the Pelicans change their stance on Murphy by the Feb. 5 deadline.
Blazers lose out on dream target Trey Murphy III
Murphy was one of the top trade targets in the league, with Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus recently ranking him second on the NBA trade block big board, behind only Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. He's a rising star in the league whose age, shooting, and defense make him a seamless fit anywhere. But he made even more sense for a rebuilding Blazers team looking to take that next leap by pursuing a co-star for Deni Avdija.
HoopsHype's Michael Scotto even reported that the Blazers were one of the teams that had expressed interest in Murphy, adding that executives around the league have circled them as a potential buyer at the deadline.
Previously, the Pelicans were at least listening to offers for Williamson, Jones, and Murphy, with their two rookies considered the only players truly off-limits. With Jones and Murphy in particular, New Orleans was maintaining a high asking price intended to turn teams away.
Scotto noted that some executives wondered if it would take a Desmond Bane-like package to get the Pelicans to sign off on a Murphy deal. That's a steep price, considering the Orlando Magic had to fork over four unprotected first-round picks and a pick swap (along with salary fillers) to land someone who's never even made an All-Star appearance.
If that truly were the asking price for Murphy, it likely wouldn't have been in Portland's best interest to pull the trigger anyway. Although Murphy is a more valuable asset than Bane going forward, that says more about how much Orlando overpaid Memphis this past summer.
Still, it makes sense for the Pelicans to keep the phone nearby to see if they could land such a haul themselves. It's surprising that a team with the worst record in the entire association isn't open to change, especially one that doesn't even have its own first-round pick in 2026.
Admittedly, the Pelicans do have a lot of promising young pieces, headlined by Murphy. The exact reasons he'd be an ideal addition to Portland can also apply to New Orleans' up-and-coming roster.
But if Murphy is genuinely off the table, the Blazers will be forced to navigate the deadline without their dream trade target, making it that much harder to find the perfect missing piece.