The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are reportedly eyeing New Orleans Pelicans veteran wing Trey Murphy III. The Pelicans, however, are not entertaining trade offers for the former first-rounder.
“Sources say that the Warriors have a strong affinity for Trey Murphy III 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,” NBA insider Jake Fischer reported.
“The two-way forward will be playing on a contract in 2025-26 — at precisely $25 million — as desirable as his talent. Another team known to have registered trade interest in Murphy, sources say, is San Antonio.”
Trey Murphy III Set To Begin Four-Year, $112 Million Contract
Per Spotrac, Murphy is entering the first season of the four-year, $112 million contract he signed with New Orleans last October. He is slated to earn $29 million in 2027-28 and $31 million in the final year of his deal in 2028-29.
Fischer noted in his report that Golden State has refused to consider sign-and-trade offers that would force the team to part with either Moses Moody or Buddy Hield, two of the team’s top sharpshooters outside of Stephen Curry.
More importantly, the Warriors seem more focused on ending their contract standoff with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, who was offered a two-year, $45 million deal by Golden State.
Kuminga, 22, has indicated that the $7.9 million qualifying offer is more appealing to him. Restricted free agents have until Oct. 1 to accept a qualifying offer.
If the Warriors are unable to trade for Murphy, they always have the free agency market to fall back on.
Free agents Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton are awaiting resolution on Kuminga’s contract situation before they can finalize deals of their own with Golden State.
Spurs Could Use Murphy’s 3-Point Shooting
In 53 games (51 starts) with the Pelicans last season, Murphy averaged career highs of 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 35 minutes per contest while shooting 45.4% from the field and 36.1% from beyond the arc.
As for the Spurs, they’re one team Murphy would be the perfect fit for. His size and athleticism as a reliable outside shooter would complement guards De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle, along with versatile forward Jeremy Sochan.
The Virginia product is also adaptable when it comes to defending multiple positions on the other end of the floor, making him all the more valuable to a young squad like San Antonio.
Needless to say, the reasons teams such as the Spurs and Warriors are interested in trading for Murphy are also reasons the Pelicans would be reluctant to part with him.
New Orleans also still has faith in Zion Williamson, its former No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 draft.
Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told Rod Walker of The Times-Picayune in June that he has had “really good conversations with Zion” and said that Williamson is “going to continue to be a focal point here.”
In his first five NBA seasons, Williamson has played 70 or more games only once and 60 or more games just twice. He’s played 30 or fewer games in three seasons and missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season.
