The Warriors remain locked in a contract standoff with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, but that hasn’t kept them from poking around the league for upgrades on the trade market. One name that has come up in their search, writes Jake Fischer for The Stein Line, is Pelicans‘ wing Trey Murphy III.
Fischer says that the Warriors approached the Pelicans about Murphy this summer. Still, he notes that New Orleans has turned away offers for the recently-turned 25-year-old, who is coming off a breakout year that saw him score 21.2 points per night after averaging 14.6 points over the previous two years.
Murphy is on a valuable contract as a 6’8″ wing who can shoot (career 38.3% from three), defend at a solid level, and has shown flashes of self-creation. The Warriors have placed a premium on shooting, as illustrated by Fischer’s report that they have refused to consider sign-and-trade offers that would force them to part with either Moses Moody or Buddy Hield, two of the team’s top marksmen outside of Stephen Curry.
Fischer adds another name to the suitors for Murphy: the Spurs. Fischer says that San Antonio has registered trade interest in the athletic wing, though he doesn’t elaborate on that statement.
Murphy would be a clean fit with the Spurs, who could use a big wing shooter to complement their highly talented but shooting-deprived guard trio of De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle, as well as versatile forward Jeremy Sochan.
However, all the reasons teams such as the Spurs and Warriors are interested in Murphy’s services are also reasons the Pelicans would be reluctant to part with him. That’s especially true given the uncertainty surrounding Zion Williamson, both in terms of long-term health and legal status. Murphy, the recently extended Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado have been on the team longer than anyone outside of Williamson, and Murphy’s game has grown tremendously in that time.