The Boston Celtics are not on the verge of landing Trey Murphy III from the New Orleans Pelicans, even if a lot of people briefly thought otherwise.
On Thursday, Sept. 10, Instagram account basketballrush11 claimed the Pelicans and Celtics were in “advanced trade talks on a deal that would send Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray to Boston in exchange for Paul George and multiple draft picks, per sources.”
The catch is that the post wasn’t real. The account has a track record of pushing fabricated NBA rumors.
Still, the false report caught fire fast. Within 24 hours, it had racked up more than 7,000 likes and 100 comments. It also seems to have sent plenty of fans scrambling to search for answers, with Google Trends showing “Trey Murphy Celtics” as the second-largest spike among Celtics-related searches.
That reaction makes sense. Plenty of Celtics fans would love to see the team pursue Murphy, and it’s easy to see why.
The No. 17 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft is a 6-8 forward who can fly above the rim and stretch defenses with his shooting. Over the last two seasons, he’s averaged 21.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while taking 8.4 3-pointers a night and hitting 37.1 percent of them.
In a lot of ways, Murphy would fill many of the same roles as George, except he’s 11 years younger.
The rumor also had just enough real-world footing to feel believable. In early July, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the Celtics were among the teams keeping tabs on Murphy’s market, along with the Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers and Atlanta Hawks. Scotto also said the Pelicans had lowered their asking price from the equivalent of four first-round picks to three.
So yes, Murphy could still be moved someday. He could even end up in Boston. But for now, that’s all it is: someday.
In Other News...
Celtics Have A Real Defensive Trade Debate Tied To The Clippers
The Celtics have spent enough time this season searching for ways to tighten up the back end that a name like Kris Dunn naturally lands in the conversation. Boston already knows what it is getting on defense if it looks toward the Clippers guard, and the appeal goes beyond stops and deflections. Dunn has also shown enough offensive growth to make him more than a one-dimensional specialist, which matters for a Celtics team trying to preserve spacing while adding toughness.
The fit is part of what makes the idea worth serious debate. Dunns contract could work into Bostons trade exception, and the price tag in the proposal is built around three future second-round picks, a relatively modest outlay for a player who could help in the short term. For the Clippers, the return is draft flexibility and a chance to move the money attached to Dunn, while Boston would have to decide how much it values another defensive guard against the cost of using assets on a deal that is still more concept than certainty. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Frontcourt Trade Talk Comes Down To One Huge Question
If Boston does end up exploring trades in the coming months, the frontcourt conversation could quickly center on Domantas Sabonis. His offensive touch and passing make him a natural fit for a Celtics group that has long valued skill, spacing and decision-making from its big men, and his style would seem to blend neatly with how Boston likes to play.
The bigger question is what Sacramento would actually want back, because a deal for Sabonis would likely force Boston to part with a significant player, with Paul George mentioned as a possible piece. Whether the Kings would even entertain that framework is another matter, and it is the kind of trade-talk hurdle that can keep a promising idea from ever getting off the ground. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Just Sent A Strong Message About Derrick Whites Future
Even with Derrick White going through a down shooting season, the Celtics continue to treat him as more than just another name on the roster. A Western Conference executive said Boston has made it clear it is not interested in trading him, which speaks to how much the guard still means to the organization beyond whatever his jumper is doing in the moment. Whites influence in the locker room and his standing with the front office have helped keep him firmly in the teams plans.
Brad Stevens has never been one to let sentiment override long-term thinking, though, and that keeps this from being a fully closed case. Boston has been willing to make hard roster calls when it believes the bigger picture demands it, so Whites status feels secure for now without being untouchable. For a team with real title expectations, that is exactly the kind of quiet tension that tends to linger around the margins. [Read more 🡒]