The New Orleans Pelicans are stuck in the worst place to be: losing now, uncertain later, and watching a season slip while the league circles their best movable pieces. They’re 8-25, and even the occasional win streak doesn’t change the vibe; this roster screams “about to get reshaped.”
That’s why Trey Murphy has become the name everyone keeps bringing up. He’s producing like a real No. 2 or high-end No. 3 option, 20.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists on 49.4% from the field, and he fits basically every contender’s wishlist as a two-way wing who can scale up or down.
And because he’s already locked in on a four-year, $112 million extension, teams don’t have to rent him; they can actually build with him.
The best part for the Pelicans is that the market is real. There’s already been chatter about teams calling, including reports that the Spurs and Warriors have made inquiries. If the Pelicans are serious about resetting the timeline, this is the exact kind of moment you cash in, and you don’t settle for “a decent offer.” You demand a haul.
1. The Warriors Go All-In For Trey Murphy’s Prime
Pelicans Receive: Jonathan Kuminga, De’Anthony Melton, Will Richard, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick
Warriors Receive: Trey Murphy III
This is the exact kind of swing the Golden State Warriors have to consider when they’re sitting at 16-16 and watching winnable games slip away in crunch time.
The roster has talent, but the fit is clunky, the margin is thin, and they’ve basically been living on “Steph saves us” nights. That’s why Trey Murphy III makes so much sense for them as a clean basketball solution, not a flashy headline.
He’s on $25 million this season, and Jake Fischer reported the Warriors have had a “strong affinity” for Murphy and have reached out to the Pelicans about him.
The reason this trade is realistic is the Jonathan Kuminga situation has turned into a weekly storyline. The Warriors re-signed him on a two-year, $48.5 million contract with a team option, which basically screams flexibility and optionality.
And it hasn’t taken long for the rotation drama to follow, with Kuminga’s role fluctuating and Steve Kerr straight up acknowledging that “nobody knows” what happens next. ESPN has also reported the Warriors are expected to explore Kuminga’s trade market in the coming weeks, with a split before the deadline viewed as a real possibility, and he becomes trade-eligible on Jannuary 15.
So the logic is simple: if Kuminga isn’t going to be a stable piece in their nightly formula, flipping him for a high-level wing who fits everyone is the smartest way to weaponize the mess.
For the Pelicans, this is the kind of return that doesn’t feel like a “sale,” it feels like a pivot. Kuminga gives them a real upside swing at 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 43.1% from the field this season. De’Anthony Melton is a usable guard defender when healthy, Will Richard is a cheap flier, and the two first-rounders are the part that turns it into a real rebuild-ready package.
Meanwhile, the Warriors get the exact archetype they’ve been hunting, a big wing who can shoot, defend, and slide next to Stephen Curry without needing the ball. And honestly, with how ugly their late-game execution has looked, adding a reliable two-way piece instead of another “maybe” could be the difference between treading water and actually looking like a serious team again.
2. The Spurs Weaponize Draft Chaos For A Top Wing
Pelicans Receive: Harrison Barnes, Carter Bryant, 2026 first-round pick (Hawks swap), 2027 first-round pick (via Hawks)
Spurs Receive: Trey Murphy III
This is the kind of deal that looks simple on the surface, but it’s really two moves in one for the San Antonio Spurs. First, they upgrade their wing rotation with a legit two-way spacer next to Victor Wembanyama. Second, they cash in on the one asset pipeline that keeps getting louder every week, the Atlanta Hawks pick situation.
The Hawks sit at 15-18, right around the Play-In line in the East, and the vibes have been ugly lately. They’ve dropped nine of their last 11 and even went winless since Trae Young’s return on December 18, which says everything about how shaky the foundation has felt.
That matters for the Spurs because the more unstable the Hawks look, the more valuable their draft equity becomes. And now you’ve got real smoke around Trae, with Marc Stein’s reporting getting aggregated into a pretty blunt takeaway, there’s a “growing belief leaguewide” that the Hawks are more open to trading Young than ever.
If the Hawks even flirt with a reset, those picks can turn from “nice” to “holy hell.”
That’s why this package makes sense for the Pelicans. Harrison Barnes gives them an immediate veteran wing on an expiring number, Carter Bryant gives them a young upside flier, and the real juice comes from the Atlanta-based pick value.
The Spurs have already shown they know how to play this game, they hold draft rights and swaps that can swing outcomes hard if the Hawks slide. Getting a 2026 swap possibility plus a clean 2027 first via the Hawks is exactly the kind of return you want if you’re moving a premium wing, because you’re betting against an uncertain direction.
For the Spurs, the fit is obvious. They’re 23-8, they’re near the top of the West, and they’re playing like a team that needs one more reliable, big wing scorer to punish rotations around Wembanyama.
Barnes has helped, but he’s more of a stabilizer than a difference-maker at this point. Murphy gives them a faster, more dynamic wing who can space, cut, and defend across multiple matchups. If the Spurs want to keep winning now while also keeping their long-term pipeline loaded, flipping Barnes plus picks for a younger wing in his prime is the kind of “contender upgrade” move that doesn’t break their identity.
3. The Pistons Pay A Premium To Land Trey Murphy
Pelicans Receive: Tobias Harris, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick, 2032 first-round pick
Pistons Receive: Trey Murphy III
This is the kind of “win-now, stay-young” swing that only makes sense for a team that genuinely believes it’s ahead of schedule, and the Detroit Pistons have earned that confidence.
They’re 24-8, sitting on top of the East, and they’ve backed it up with real two-way quality. When a team is already defending at an elite level, the next step is usually simple: add another playoff-proof wing who can space the floor, punish switches, and thrive in the postseason matchup hunt.
That’s exactly why Trey Murphy III fits so cleanly in this specific build. The Pistons already have the engine with Cade Cunningham putting up 26.5 points and 9.6 assists this season, so the priority becomes surrounding him with wings who don’t shrink in big moments and don’t clog the geometry.
Murphy gives them size on the wing, real movement shooting, and the kind of off-ball gravity that keeps defenses from loading up on Cade. He also lets them keep their defensive identity intact because he isn’t a “scoring-only” add who has to be hidden. You can slide him into lineups that want to switch, stunt, and recover without panicking.
The reason the price is so steep is simple: the Pelicans shouldn’t move Murphy for anything less than a franchise-changing haul. This team is 8-25, and they’re at the point where “retool” starts sounding like denial.
Taking on Tobias Harris works because he’s an expiring number at $26.6 million this season, and he’s still productive, averaging 13.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 45.0% from the field. Even if the Pelicans don’t view him as a long-term piece, he’s a functional veteran who keeps the floor from collapsing while the organization decides what direction it’s really going.
But the real win for the Pelicans is the picks, and not just “a first.” It’s three first-rounders, including a 2032 first that could end up being the nastiest part of the entire deal. That’s the kind of asset that can either anchor a rebuild or become the headline chip in a later star trade.
For the Pistons, it’s a calculated bet: if you think you’re a real contender now and you have a long-term lead guard already producing like one, paying up for a prime wing who fits the modern game is exactly how you stop being a fun story and start being a problem.
