The New Orleans Pelicans had an overly confident front office when it came to navigating the offseason. For a team coming off a 26-56 season, they sure had a lot of untouchables and an overall firm trade stance on their young core.
That predictably hasn't translated into much success at the start of the 2026-27 season either. New Orleans sits at 2-4 and is already falling out of the Western Conference playoff picture. Hopefully that inspires Pelicans decision-maker Joe Dumars to, you know, realize his team actually isn't very good overall.
Some of their pieces are, which is why the firm trade stance is both equally puzzling and frustrating. Why not embrace the rebuild by resetting the timeline and trading wings like Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones for future draft capital? How have they still not moved on from the Zion Williamson era?
At least they're reportedly open to finding a trade partner for Dejounte Murray, according to Shamit Dua of In The N.O.
Dua also reports that Jordan Poole is another trade candidate to monitor after informing the Pelicans he'd be "open to opportunities elsewhere."
Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones should be trade targets for Blazers
It's safe to say the Blazers shouldn't have any interest in Murray or Poole -- their backcourt is already crowded enough as is. But hopefully the Pelicans' openness to moving on from these veteran guards is a sign that they'll eventually trade at least one of their talented two-way wings. Either Jones or Murphy would be a great fit in Portland, giving them much-needed defense and wing depth.
Sidy Cissoko's rapid development has been a great storyline for the Blazers this season to help fill the void left by Matisse Thybulle, Jerami Grant, and Kris Murray on the wing. They could still use more depth, especially with Vit Krejci shooting just 18.2 percent from deep to start the season.
Between the two Pelicans wings, it's Murphy who would be the better offensive fit, given his floor spacing and shot creation. That's something the Blazers have missed a bit, especially from Grant.
Uunfortunately, Murphy is a seamless fit for just about any team around the league, meaning he won't come cheap for Portland. The answer to Jones or Murphy depends on the Pelicans' asking price for each.
Hopefully, that price actually dips to a reasonable point by February's deadline. That didn't seem to be the case for whatever reason this offseason, but the early-season struggles and guard trade talk could be a sign of what's to come.
It's certainly a situation for Blazers general manager Joe Cronin to monitor. Portland could be buyers at the deadline to make a deeper playoff run. They also have plenty of future assets to acquire either wing. It's only a matter of whether the value is right.
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