The Portland Trail Blazers previously expressed interest in New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III at February's trade deadline. However, they weren't mentioned among teams actively pursuing Murphy in Michael Scotto of HoopsHype's latest intel. In fact, he mentioned Portland as a team that has "faded from the Murphy trade conversation" following their surprising acquisition of Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.
While we think it's a mistake for the Blazers not to revisit Murphy trade talks in an attempt to better balance their roster with a talented two-way wing, it may no longer matter what Portland's stance is.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on a Bleacher Report livestream that the Pelicans plan to hold on to Murphy, as there isn't really a market to meet their steep asking price.
"At this point in time, I am working with the belief that the Pelicans want to keep Trey Murphy," Fischer said. "This whole offseason chatter around him kind of got blown out of proportion by them letting other teams around the draft believe he was available, but there just isn't really a market for him at that price point that the Pelicans are asking for."
Pelicans rumors make a Trey Murphy trade unlikely for Portland
Fellow NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line added that the Pelicans dropped their asking price of Murphy from the equivalent of four to three first-round picks. Still a steep asking price, but not as outrageous as some may think.
The Orlando Magic sent four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap for Desmond Bane. The New York Knicks previously sent a similar haul to acquire Mikal Bridges -- a once-controversial decision that has since received praise after recently ending their 53-year championship drought.
For Portland, the problem isn't necessarily the steep asking price for Murphy, but whether this is the all-in move that will propel them into contention. Bridges, Bane, and Murphy are on a somewhat similar tier of wing players, but the difference is Bridges took the Knicks to the next level while the Magic are struggling to escape no-man's land with Bane.
Unfortunately, the Blazers' current roster, despite the Morant blockbuster and Damian Lillard's return, leans closer to the Magic than the Knicks. Going all-in for Murphy isn't the missing piece towards contention and would likely still result in an early playoff exit.
The counterargument is he still fits the timeline of their young core at 26 years old and is under contract on a team-friendly deal through 2028-29.
Still, it felt at the trade deadline that the Pelicans maintained a steep asking price intended to deter teams from inquiring, as they've been incredibly high on a roster that's coming off just a 26-win season.
Apparently, that continues to be the case this summer as Murphy trade talks have gotten blown out of proportion. If the Blazers want to continue adding star power after acquiring Morant, it sounds like they'll have to look elsewhere.
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