The Rockets have a roster that could use one more clean answer on the wing, and Trey Murphy III fits that need almost too neatly. Among the names that could surface in trade talks, he stands out as the kind of true 3-and-D player Houston can plug into a win-now group without forcing the rest of the puzzle to change shape.
The twist is that Bennedict Mathurin’s arrival may have shifted the Pelicans’ thinking. New Orleans has long kept Murphy in the mix while resisting the urge to move him, but adding Mathurin could signal a willingness to turn the page from the previous era. Mathurin isn’t the kind of player who replaces Murphy outright, yet the move suggests the Pelicans may be more open than before to dealing a player like him.
Murphy is 26 and entering his sixth season, which makes him look less like a development piece and more like someone built for a competitive roster. The case for New Orleans moving him is simple: if the current core hasn’t already hit the point of frustration, it’s hard to argue that keeping Murphy is the best use of his value. For a team looking to reshape things, he could bring back younger talent and future draft capital.
What makes Murphy so appealing is the shot-making. He has been one of the league’s most dangerous three-point threats since he entered the NBA, and last season he hit 38% of his threes while attempting 8.6 per game. That kind of volume and confidence from deep would give Houston another layer in its best spacing lineups.
On the other end, Murphy isn’t the elite stopper some people make him out to be, but he is a solid defender. He could benefit from a Rockets environment where he’s asked to guard his own man while teammates like Amen Thompson cover a lot of ground and clean up mistakes around him.
If Houston decides to chase him, there are at least a couple of paths to make the money work. The simplest deal would send Jabari Smith Jr. to New Orleans, a move that would also open a starting spot for Murphy and push Kevin Durant to power forward. But that comes with a real cost, since it would mean giving up the specific value Smith brings to the roster.
Another route would center on Reed Sheppard, Clint Capela and a minimum contract. That would be a tougher pill for the former third overall pick just two years after he was selected, though it might be the kind of sacrifice Houston has to consider if the goal is to win now.
Either way, the Pelicans would likely push for additional draft compensation. That’s where the negotiation would get interesting, and where Houston would have to be sharp. The Rockets handled the Durant deal well last year without emptying the cupboard, and the next challenge would be pulling off a similar kind of move for a role player who could help finish the job.
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Rockets Lineup Is Taking Shape Around One Huge Fit Question
The Rockets projected starting five is coming into focus, and it has the kind of high-end talent that can make a team dangerous if the pieces click. Fred VanVleet would be back directing the offense, Jalen Thompson would handle the shooting guard spot, Kevin Durant gives Houston a proven scorer on the wing, Jabari Smith Jr. slots in at power forward, and Alperen Sengun anchors the middle as the young big man around whom the organization still sees a future franchise star taking shape.
What makes this lineup so interesting is not just the names, but the balance of styles Houston is trying to piece together. VanVleets return from injury changes the guard rotation, Durants presence raises the ceiling in a hurry, and Senguns growth gives the Rockets a long-term centerpiece inside. The unanswered question is how well all of that fits together once the season starts and the minutes, touches and responsibilities settle into place. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets May Still Regret Losing Dillon Brooks In The Durant Deal
Dillon Brooks left a real imprint in Phoenix in his first season after departing Houston, giving the Suns the kind of edge and two-way bite that helped push them beyond expectations. His defensive intensity and scoring touch made him a steady fit, and the payoff came quickly when Phoenix locked him in with a new contract extension after just one year.
For the Rockets, the deal that sent Brooks out the door in the Durant trade still carries a familiar sort of aftertaste, because his absence has left a noticeable gap in perimeter defense and veteran presence. Houston has tried to address that by bringing in Marcus Smart, but replacing Brooks is not as simple as swapping one experienced defender for another, especially when his energy and leadership were part of what made him so useful in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Rumors Could Suddenly Complicate The Rockets Long-Term Plan
The ripple effects of Miamis blockbuster move for Giannis Antetokounmpo have already reached the rest of the league, and Houston has reason to pay attention. The Heat are still being talked about as a team that could keep reshaping its roster during the season, with an insider pointing to another major swing as a possibility if Miami decides it wants even more star power around its new foundation.
For the Rockets, the real issue is less about what Miami wants than what it might be willing to give up to get there. Any deal of that caliber would almost certainly require serious assets and could involve multiple teams, which is the sort of trade machine scenario that can quietly alter the market for everyone else. If the Heat go hunting for another high-end name, Houstons long-term plan could feel a little less settled than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]