The Celtics have a clearer picture now of what a Trey Murphy III trade would demand, and it sounds expensive.
Per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Pelicans have set a steep price on the 26-year-old forward in recent trade conversations. New Orleans would need multiple first-round picks to "pique their interest" in moving Murphy, a sign they are not planning to let him go cheaply.
That asking price fits the profile of a player the Pelicans value highly. Murphy, the No. 17 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, put together a strong season last year, averaging 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 47.0 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from 3-point range on 8.6 attempts per game.
His contract also gives New Orleans no reason to rush. Murphy is in the second year of a four-year, $112 million deal and is set to make $27 million this season, $29 million in 2027-28 and $31 million in 2028-29.
For Boston, there are no current reports saying it is actively chasing Murphy right now. Still, the Celtics have had their eye on him before.
Following the Celtics’ trade of Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that Boston was among the teams with interest. As Scotto put it in July: "The Celtics have monitored Murphy’s trade market, and following the Brown trade for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks, they have gained extra draft capital that New Orleans has desired in any trade talks,"
Scotto also noted that the Pelicans had come down from an asking price equivalent to four first-round picks to three.
Some fans believed Boston was getting close to a deal in September after a social media account claimed the Celtics were working on a trade involving George and multiple draft picks. That buzz didn’t hold up, though, and the account in question has a track record of posting fake NBA rumors.
Even so, Murphy still fits the kind of player Boston could circle back to before the trade deadline. He brings many of the same traits as Paul George - a 6-foot-8 forward who can shoot the 3 and defend - but he is 10 years younger and under contract through 2028-29.
So if the Celtics decide to make another call, they already know the price tag is heavy.
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