Trey Murphy III is still a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, but the team is actively trying to change that.
The Pelicans have recently dropped their asking price on Murphy, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported this week. New Orleans is now asking for the equivalent of three future first-round draft picks for Murphy, which is down from their previous ask of four.
Murphy, 26, is a homegrown Pelican who arrived on the team back in the 2021 NBA Draft. He has developed rather nicely over the years and has now posted back-to-back 20-ppg seasons, including last year when Murphy averaged 21.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game for New Orleans.
At 6-foot-8, Murphy fits the modern NBA very nicely. He is a 38.2 percent career three-point shooter and can defend countless positions with his combination of size, effort, and instincts.
But the Pelicans went a rotten 26-56 last season and now seem to want to cash in on Murphy, who is owed $29 million per year over the next three seasons. There were pretty heavy trade rumors surrounding Murphy ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft, but the former first-round pick is still with New Orleans nearly two weeks later.
We recently heard that there were two particular frontrunners that had emerged to possibly trade for Murphy. Now that the Pelicans have lowered their asking price, the Murphy sweepstakes may just be opening back up again.
