We are finally getting reports of potential activity from the Warriors’ front office after the Jonathan Kuminga situation seems to be nearing its end. The only bone of contention that remains is that Kuminga’s representation wants the Warriors to convert the team option in their last offer to a player option, and he’s ready to buy into the agenda of getting Stephen Curry a fifth NBA championship.
Now, following this reported update in the saga, the Warriors’ front office is reportedly looking at Trey Murphy III, who is Zion Williamson’s teammate on the Pelicans.
According to Jake Fischer, the NBA insider who works with Bleacher Report and Stein Line, the Warriors “really” have an interest in trading for Murphy, reinforcing their interest from earlier in the season.
Despite suffering multiple injuries, Murphy had a breakout season last year. His scoring average took nearly a 50% jump from 14.8 points per game to 21.2 points per game in just a six-minute playing time increase over the two seasons.
With Williamson being a constant injury concern, the Pelicans were starting to look at Murphy as a potential player to rely upon. In October 2024, Murphy signed a four-year $112 million deal with the Pelicans, which roughly amounts to a similar average salary as the Warriors’ latest offer to Kuminga.
It could be that the Warriors are preparing a trade offer for Murphy if Kuminga signs the extension. But the Warriors will have to offer considerably more than just Kuminga to convince the Pelicans’ front office.
Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 30.5% from three-point range in 2024-25. Meanwhile, Murphy averaged 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists during the same time while shooting 36.1% from beyond the arc. This shows that Murphy has a lot more to bring to the table than Kuminga right now.
The Warriors currently have all their first-round picks for the next four seasons. The Pelicans would demand at least two of those four picks in a potential trade if the negotiations were to begin. Three first-round picks would be an ideal number for the Pelicans, arguably.
Proposed Trade Details
Golden State Warriors Receive: Trey Murphy III
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Jonathan Kuminga, 2026 first-round pick (GSW), 2028 first-round pick (GSW), 2032 first-round pick (GSW)
But similar to Kuminga, Murphy will face the same issue of finding minutes in the rotation behind Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, who are the Warriors’ fixed starters.
The Warriors played small ball a lot of last season as they did not have a conventional center beyond Kevon Looney, and Quinten Post was just a rookie. Maybe they could use Murphy as a small-ball center who is six feet eight inches tall.
While the Warriors would love to make it happen, it is unlikely that they would do so without overpaying with two or three additional first-round picks. Therefore, the Warriors face the conundrum of cashing in those picks now in Curry’s prime or saving them for a potential rebuild in the future.
