Trade speculation surrounding Trey Murphy III has not disappeared, even as the New Orleans Pelicans head toward training camp with essentially the same roster that finished near the bottom of the NBA standings last season.
According to The Athletic’s John Hollinger, league chatter surrounding a potential Murphy trade has cooled but remains alive. Hollinger wrote that discussions involving the 25-year-old forward “haven’t vanished” and could regain momentum once LeBron James’ free agency situation is resolved, as several pieces of offseason business remain on hold across the league.
Hollinger also questioned New Orleans’ offseason approach, noting the Pelicans still lack a starting-caliber center after making no significant roster changes. He wrote that the team appears poised to begin the season with “the league’s 30th-best collection of fives” and suggested the front office could still pursue a late-summer move using its remaining salary-cap flexibility.
The Pelicans finished 26-56 during the 2025-26 season, tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the Western Conference’s second-worst record. Despite that disappointing campaign, New Orleans has yet to make a major roster shakeup, although Murphy continues to generate interest from around the league.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Pelicans recently lowered their asking price for Murphy from the equivalent of four first-round picks to three first-round picks. The adjustment has fueled renewed conversations among rival executives, although opinions remain divided regarding his trade value.
Murphy is coming off the best season of his career. In 66 starts during the 2025-26 campaign, he averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 47.0 percent from the field, 37.9 percent from three-point range on 8.6 attempts per game and 88.6 percent from the free-throw line.
His combination of size, perimeter shooting and defensive versatility has made him one of the league’s most attractive trade targets. Murphy is also under contract for three more seasons after signing a long-term extension, giving interested teams cost certainty and long-term control.
Scotto reported that the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks have all explored Murphy’s availability to varying degrees.
Boston could be better positioned after acquiring additional draft assets in the Jaylen Brown trade, while Detroit may revisit negotiations after previously viewing New Orleans’ asking price as too high. The Pistons won an Eastern Conference-best 60 games last season before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games during the conference semifinals.
The Clippers also possess extra draft capital following the Kawhi Leonard trade and could pursue Murphy as a foundational piece. Golden State’s interest, meanwhile, reportedly depends in part on the outcome of its pursuit of LeBron James, while Sam Amick of The Athletic recently said the Warriors are not especially confident about landing Murphy, with the Brooklyn Nets and Clippers viewed as stronger contenders.
