The New Orleans Pelicans will have plenty of suitors for Trey Murphy this upcoming offseason as one of the trade wing players on the trade market. Another losing season and the team’s younger talent will see them active to deal Murphy if an opposing team gives them an enticing package. The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors have been linked to Murphy since before the regular season ended.
However, NBA insider Marc Stein has linked two new teams with NBA Championship hopes to have interest a week before trade talks start to pick up:
“External trade interest in New Orleans’ Trey Murphy III remains intense, league sources say. League sources say that the Pelicans have not offered Murphy anywhere and that this is the first time their new front office regime headed by Joe Dumars has been truly willing to field offers for Murphy.
As one team interested in Murphy put it to me this week: “They want a lot.” Two teams known to have expressed interest in the 25-year-old sharpshooter, I’m told, are Detroit and Indiana.”
The Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers are both close to contending after both had recent stints of success. Indiana fell one win short of the NBA Championship last season and will get Tyrese Haliburton back from injury this year. Detroit won 60 games and had the top seed in the East this season, but postseason exposed that they are in need of more offense to truly contend.
How Trey Murphy Helps Detroit Pistons
Detroit only has one confirmed great player on the roster with Cade Cunningham emerging as an MVP candidate this season. Jalen Duren had an All-Star season as the center, but he had a horrendous postseason run to lose a lot of fan confidence.
The Pistons must make a big decision on how much to pay Duren in free agency, if they even decide to keep him as a long-term part of the future. No other player on the roster has All-Star potential with names like Tobias Harris and Duncan Robinson also becoming free agents.
Ausar Thompson is a key part of the future, but he’s known for defense more than his offensive struggles. Murphy would be a massive upgrade over any other wing player that Detroit currently has and will fit Cade’s timeline since he’s only one year older.
How Trey Murphy Helps Indiana Pacers
Indiana was the best team in the Eastern Conference last postseason and still have enough talent to keep contending. Haliburton missed this entire season to make it a gap year as one of the worst teams in the league.
The Pacers missed out on a top five draft due to trading Ivica Zubac, but it also gave them their center of the future after losing Myles Turner last summer. Pascal Siakam, Haliburton, and Zubac fill three pivotal positions.
A wing player with strong shooting skills is the most important move left to be made. Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith are both capable starters but trading one of them and some more assets for Murphy is a clear upgrade in talent.
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