While the deadline isn't until Feb. 5, the trade season is unofficially underway with players who signed in the offseason now eligible to be shopped. In honor of trade season, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley recently proposed one trade every NBA team would make if the trade deadline were today. For the Portland Trail Blazers, that trade involves landing New Orleans Pelicans rising star Trey Murphy III.
Here is the deal in full:
"The West is probably too top-heavy to justify the Trail Blazers making a big splash, but that's far less concerning if they find someone they can keep around for a while. Murphy should offer that level of longevity as a 25-year-old who's signed through the 2028-29 season," Buckley writes.
Trey Murphy III is the perfect trade target for Portland
Losing Scoot Henderson would be a significant blow for their young core. While Portland shouldn't put Scoot on the trade block, there are some players currently on the trade market that make sense to sacrifice him for a star upgrade. Murphy fits the bill.
The Blazers have ambitions of ending a four-year playoff drought, but that's becoming increasingly unlikely by the day after an injury-plagued 10-16 start to the season. Given their situation, Murphy is the perfect fit for Portland's rebuilding timeline and would help achieve both their short- and long-term goals. He's already skilled enough to give Portland the boost it needs to sneak into the postseason, but most importantly, he still has plenty of room to grow along with the rest of the Blazers' up-and-coming core.
A versatile wing trio of Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Murphy is exactly what Portland is hoping to accomplish with its newfound identity built around length, athleticism, and defense. They would be able to effectively switch everything on the defensive end.
Offensively, the Blazers would miss Henderson's playmaking, but we've seen Avdija step up as a primary initiator in his absence. They could double down on their defensive versatility by using Avdija in a point-forward role, or look to address the long-term point guard spot in the 2026 NBA Draft, with veterans Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard serving as bridges to fill the gap.
Kris Murray and Matisse Thybulle should be considered expendable this trade season. Murray's inability to space the floor remains a significant offensive liability. Thybulle is hard to rely on from a health standpoint and is one of the most likely Blazers to be traded by the deadline due to his expiring contract.
Ultimately, this may not be enough to land Murphy. While the Pelicans are reportedly open to offers for Murphy, they are also maintaining a high asking price that is intended to turn teams away. It depends on how high the Pelicans are on Henderson. We've seen the New Orleans front office make questionable decisions for players they've been high on, such as their draft-day trade to land Derik Queen. They may like the idea of pairing Henderson with promising rookie Jeremiah Fears in the backcourt.
Let's hope that's the case, as this would be a no-brainer deal for the Blazers to help them catch up out west.