NBA Rumors: 3 Championship Contenders Interested in Trey Murphy

New Orleans Pelicans continues to struggle to find stability within the current landscape of the NBA. The team showed a slight improvement between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, going from 21 to 26 wins, although the franchise is still far from being considered a real contender.

The arrival of Joe Dumars as the executive vice president of basketball operations in April 2025 has not been accompanied, so far, by impactful moves.

Amidst this situation, one of the names that has been most prominent in the market rumors in recent months is Trey Murphy III, the team's top scorer last season with 21.5 points per game.

Boston continues to emerge as a possible destination

Even before Jaylen Brown was publicly placed on the market while Brad Stevens was trying to bring in Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee, the Celtics had already been linked with a strong interest in Murphy.

In recent days, a new element emerged that heightened speculations about a possible deal between both franchises.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Boston is requesting four first-round picks in any negotiation for Brown.

Shortly after, Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports indicated that the Pelicans would be asking for three first-round picks in exchange for Murphy.

Simultaneously, the Portland Trail Blazers appear as the leading candidate to acquire Brown.

This scenario has opened the door to the possibility of a trade involving three teams: Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans, and Portland Trail Blazers. In that case, Murphy would end up in Boston, Brown would head to Portland, and the Pelicans would receive a significant package of Draft picks.

Golden State keeps an eye on the small forward

The Golden State Warriors also continue to monitor the player's situation.

The franchise aims to make one last push for a title during Stephen Curry's era, following the addition of veterans like Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford on short-term contracts.

However, the team believes it still needs a key piece to compete at the highest level in the Western Conference, and Murphy remains an object of interest.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the Warriors explored trade possibilities with New Orleans using the 11th pick in the Draft before its completion.

Moreover, during the closing of the market last February, there were reports indicating that Mike Dunleavy Jr. was working on a potential deal centered around Jonathan Kuminga and future first-round picks.

Kuminga ended up leaving the team before the market closed, but he went to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Golden State.

The Warriors have all their first-round picks available for the next seven years, a factor that could be appealing to the Pelicans, who might especially value future selections in the early 2030s, a period in which Curry would likely have retired and Golden State could be undergoing a rebuild.

Detroit emerges as an increasingly real option

The option of the Detroit Pistons has also gained strength in recent days.

Jalen Duren's contractual situation could pave the way for negotiations between both franchises. According to Sam Amick, the player was "disappointed" with the initial offer presented by Detroit this summer.

Duren, 22, could fill an important need for the Pelicans, who are seeking a starting center.

Additionally, Detroit's president of basketball operations, Trajan Langdon, holds multiple future first-round picks that could facilitate a potential sign-and-trade deal.

Meanwhile, Murphy could become a significant complement alongside Cade Cunningham in the Pistons' project.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rumores NBA: 3 candidatos al anillo, interesados en Trey Murphy