The Celtics enter this offseason after one of the most disappointing playoff exits in recent memory. The Celtics blew a 3-1 series lead and lost 4-3 in the first round to the 76ers after a stunning comeback, ending their season far earlier than expected.
That result has naturally pushed them into the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, but there is a legitimate argument that the Celtics may not want to gut their roster to chase another superstar.
If the Celtics pursue Giannis, a deal almost certainly starts with one of their most important players. Derrick White could be among the names discussed because of his value, contract, and ability to help the Bucks remain competitive. Jaylen Brown is the most likely name linked with the Giannis talks. But there is another path available if the Celtics want to improve the roster without sacrificing a core piece.
That path could be Trey Murphy III.
Murphy has developed into one of the NBA’s best young wings. The 25-year-old averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 47.0% from the field and roughly 38.0% from three-point range on more than eight attempts per game. At 6-foot-8, he provides elite floor spacing, secondary shot creation, transition scoring, and long-term contract control.
The challenge is price. Marc Stein reported that the Pelicans would want a “Desmond Bane-type offer” to consider moving Trey Murphy III or Herb Jones. Rival executives were wondering if Murphy’s asking price would mirror Bane’s because of his age, contract, production, and the Pelicans’ interest in draft capital.
Still, unlike a Giannis pursuit that could force the Celtics to sacrifice a player such as White or Brown, the Celtics have a mechanism to build a Murphy trade while keeping much of their core intact. Thanks to their $27.7 million traded player exception from the Anfernee Simons deal, the Celtics have a unique avenue to pursue Murphy without needing to include White simply for salary-matching purposes.
Potential Trade Framework
Celtics Receive: Trey Murphy III
Pelicans Receive: Sam Hauser, Hugo Gonzalez, 2027 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick via Bucks, 2031 second-round pick
The Celtics can use the $27.7 million trade exception to absorb Murphy’s $27.0 million salary. That is the key mechanism. They don’t need to send out matching salary equal to Murphy’s number. That allows the package to be built around assets and smaller contracts.
Sam Hauser is the main rotation player going out. Hugo Gonzalez is the young wing. The 2027 first-round pick is the main asset. The 2026 second-round pick via Bucks and 2031 second-round pick add more draft value.
This still might not be enough if the Pelicans demand a Desmond Bane-type return. Murphy has a high-value contract, strong production, and the right age curve. But this is the structure that lets the Celtics make a serious offer without touching White.
Why Murphy Fits The Celtics
Murphy is not just a shooter anymore. That is the main reason this idea works.
Earlier in his career, he was more of a floor spacer and transition finisher. Now he is a high-volume scoring wing. The jump to 21.5 points per game came with efficient shooting and better playmaking. A 6-foot-8 wing who can shoot over smaller defenders, attack closeouts, run in transition, and create secondary offense is not a normal role player.
The Celtics need that type of extra scoring. They had enough top-end talent to win a title in 2024, but the current roster needs more scalable offense around Tatum and Brown. Murphy gives them that without needing to become the No. 1 option.
His shot profile is the real fit. Murphy took 8.6 threes per game and stayed near 38.0% from deep. That forces defenses to defend him far beyond the arc. He is not a low-volume shooter who can be ignored in playoff spacing. He pulls defenders with him.
That changes the court for Tatum and Brown. If Murphy is at the 3, Brown can play more as the 2, and Tatum can play more at the 4. That lineup has more size, more shooting, and more pressure on closeouts.
The ideal structure is White, Brown, Murphy, Tatum, and a center like Queta or Vucevic again. That gives the Celtics four perimeter players who can shoot, pass, and defend at different levels. White handles the guard defense. Brown takes the stronger wing or scoring guard. Murphy spaces and attacks secondary matchups. Tatum gets more room to operate as the main forward creator.
The Celtics would not be adding Murphy to replace White’s role. They would be adding him to fix a different problem.
Why Derrick White Should Stay
Derrick White should remain out of this type of deal because his role is harder to replace than his box-score profile suggests.
White finished the regular season with 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 77 starts. The shooting was not at his usual level, with 39.4% from the field and 32.7% from three, but the full profile still shows why he is so important. He was one of the few guards in the league giving his team five-plus assists, more than one steal, and more than one block per game. That combination is not normal for a backcourt player.
The playoff numbers were worse, and that has to be part of the analysis. White averaged 11.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in the 76ers series while shooting 32.1% from the field and 27.3% from three. He also had 1.4 blocks per game, which still shows the defensive playmaking. The shot fell off, but the defensive activity stayed.
That is the key distinction. White can have a bad shooting series and still give the Celtics real value because he guards, rotates, blocks shots from the weak side, and keeps the ball moving. In Game 7, he had 26 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 45 minutes. He shot 9-of-26 from the field and 5-of-16 from three, so it was not efficient, but he still carried a large workload in a game where Jayson Tatum did not play.
If the Celtics trade White for Trey Murphy III, they get bigger on the wing but create a guard problem. They would lose their best point-of-attack defender, their safest secondary organizer, and one of the few guards who can defend up, protect the rim from the side, and play without high usage.
Murphy would fix a wing scoring issue. He would not replace White’s guard role. That is why the trade has to be built around the TPE, Sam Hauser, Hugo Gonzalez, and draft picks. The Celtics should be trying to add Murphy to White, not swap one problem for another.
The best lineup idea is White, Jaylen Brown, Murphy, and Tatum at the perimeter. White keeps the backcourt stable. Brown can play more at the 2. Murphy gives size and shooting at the 3. Tatum slides more often to the 4. That structure gives the Celtics more length without removing their best guard defender.
White’s playoff shooting was a concern. It should not be ignored. But his season-long two-way production, assist volume, low-usage fit, and defensive playmaking still make him too valuable to include in a Murphy deal.
Why The Pelicans Would Ask For More Than Hauser
Hauser is useful, but he is not the main value in this deal.
Hauser gives the Pelicans a proven movement shooter on a smaller contract. He is owed $10.8 million in 2026-27, much less than Murphy’s $27.0 million. He can fit next to Zion Williamson because he does not need touches and can stretch the floor. For a team that has often needed cleaner spacing around Williamson, that skill has value.
But Hauser is not Murphy. That is the point. Murphy creates more offense. He gets more shots. He attacks more closeouts. He rebounds more. He has more size and more upside as a top option. Hauser is a specialist. Murphy is closer to a core wing.
That is why Hugo Gonzalez and picks have to be in the offer. Gonzalez gives the Pelicans a young wing on a cost-controlled deal. He is not ready to replace Murphy, but he gives them another developmental player with size.
The 2027 first-round pick is the real center of the offer. The Pelicans would not trade Murphy for only a shooter and seconds. The extra second-round picks help, but the first-round pick is the serious asset.
The Pelicans would still likely ask for more. That is fair. Murphy is one of their best trade chips and also one of their best long-term players. The only reason to consider this type of package is if they want to rebalance money, add picks, and recover value before making bigger roster decisions.
Why Hauser Is The Correct Outgoing Player
Hauser is the right player to put in this deal because Murphy would take his role and expand it.
Hauser’s job is shooting. He spaces, relocates, and punishes help. That is valuable, but it is limited compared to Murphy’s profile. Murphy gives many of the same spacing benefits while adding scoring volume, transition threat, more defensive size, and more ability to attack a tilted defense.
The Celtics would lose one of their best pure shooters, but they would get a more complete wing. In playoff terms, that matters. Hauser can be targeted defensively and can disappear if his shot volume drops. Murphy can impact more parts of the game.
The salary also fits. Hauser’s $10.8 million contract is the most practical mid-tier piece to send out without touching the core. The Celtics don’t have many movable contracts in that range. That makes him the obvious outgoing rotation player.
This is not about Hauser being bad. It is about hierarchy. If Murphy arrives, Hauser becomes less necessary. That is exactly when a player should be used in a trade.
The Financial Side
The trade exception is what makes the framework possible.
Murphy’s $27.0 million salary fits into the Celtics’ $27.7 million TPE. That lets them acquire him without normal salary matching. The Celtics can send out Hauser and Gonzalez, but they don’t need to use White, Pritchard, or another core piece just to make the math work.
There is still a cost. Murphy is owed $27.0 million in 2026-27, $29.0 million in 2027-28, and $31.0 million in 2028-29. This is not a rental. It is a multi-year payroll decision.
But that is also why he is worth the effort. He is not an old short-term scorer. He is a 25-year-old wing with size and elite shooting volume. If the Celtics use the TPE on a major player, it should be someone who can stay in the Tatum-Brown timeline.
