NBA insider Jake Fischer reports that the Golden State Warriors are interested in trading for [subscription required] New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III.
"Sources say that the Warriors have a strong affinity for Murphy and have made outreach to New Orleans as recently as this summer. Yet sources say that the Pelicans, to be clear, have batted away calls for the 25-year-old, valuing him highly. The two-way forward will be playing on a contract in 2025-26 — at precisely $25 million — as desirable as his talent," Fischer wrote.
The Portland Trail Blazers need to inquire about Murphy before it's too late.
Trey Murphy is what Portland's rebuild is missing
Murphy is perhaps the most overlooked rising star in the league. He's coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals on 45/36/89 shooting splits. At 25 years old, Murphy's career is still on an upward trajectory, and it wouldn't be shocking if it resulted in multiple All-Star appearances.
A two-way forward is arguably the most coveted archetype in the modern NBA. Just look at recent Finals MVPs like Jaylen Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Andre Iguodala -- this list shows how instrumental having one is to team success. Murphy isn't quite that level of superstar, but he's an ideal complementary star who can seamlessly fit into any team's system.
Portland and Golden State have similar roster construction flaws in that most of their core pieces aren't reliable floor spacers. The Warriors need to add more shooting to help take attention away from Stephen Curry and provide more playmaking opportunities for Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. Meanwhile, the Blazers have finished as a bottom-five three-point shooting team in consecutive seasons. They would benefit from Murphy opening driving lanes for Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Deni Avdija.
The San Antonio Spurs are another team interested in trading for Murphy, according to Fischer. Currently, the Pelicans have "batted away calls," but things change quickly in the NBA. The Pelicans also confusingly traded away an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to land Derik Queen in the draft this summer. They should be looking at how to recoup future assets, which could mean coming to terms with trading their rising star.
The Blazers need to get in on the trade talks surrounding Murphy before their Western Conference rivals manage to get even stronger.