With Jaylen Brown off the board, Trey Murphy III has emerged as the name people around the league are watching next, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
New Orleans’ price for the Pelicans wing is believed to have slipped to the equivalent of three first-round picks, down from four. That number is drawing mixed reactions. Some executives who spoke to HoopsHype see it as fair value, while others think the Pelicans should be aiming lower, arguing that two first-rounders is closer to the right range - the kind of return that helped bring in stars like Kawhi Leonard and Brown.
Before the trade deadline, Scotto says the Warriors, Pistons, Hawks, Pacers, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Lakers all showed interest in Murphy. A few of those teams may no longer be realistic landing spots. Indiana, Portland, and Los Angeles used assets in moves for Ivica Zubac, Ja Morant, and Walker Kessler, respectively, and San Antonio reached the NBA Finals, making a major roster shakeup unlikely.
The teams still in the mix, according to Scotto, are Golden State, Detroit, Atlanta, Boston, and the Clippers. All five have the draft capital New Orleans would want, and Boston and L.A. have padded their stockpile through the Brown and Leonard deals. Even so, the Warriors’ level of interest is still unclear as they wait to see what happens with LeBron James, Scotto adds.
Boston’s potential involvement comes with a caveat. A league source told Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that the Brown trade was not made with a specific follow-up move already mapped out. The same source said the Celtics do not view the deal, which sends out Brown’s three-year, $183MM contract, as a “cost-cutting transaction,” and that ownership did not direct the front office to move the All-Star wing.
Jalen Duren’s situation is drawing attention for a different reason. Scotto notes that the restricted free agent center and Kings big man Domantas Sabonis are represented by the same agency, which may help explain why sign-and-trade chatter involving Duren and Sacramento has been so persistent even though there’s no sign the Pistons want to go that route. Sabonis’ camp would presumably prefer a spot where he can contend, while Duren could potentially land a larger payday from the Kings than the Pistons are currently willing to put on the table.
Buddy Hield is still showing up in trade talk as well, Scotto reports. Atlanta already guaranteed his $9.66MM salary for next season, but that doesn’t lock him into the roster for 2026/27.
Minnesota, meanwhile, is expected to chase a stretch big after losing Naz Reid in the LaMelo Ball trade. The Timberwolves could use the taxpayer mid-level exception to fill that need, but Scotto says another path under consideration is moving Josh Green’s expiring $14.7MM contract to bring back the kind of frontcourt shooting they’re after.
In Other News...
Pelicans Lose A Key Frontcourt Target As Pressure Builds Fast
Mitchell Robinson came off the board quickly, and that leaves the Pelicans with one less frontcourt name to circle as the offseason market keeps moving. New Orleans had viewed Robinson as a possible target, but the center is no longer available, and the timing only adds to the sense that the team has to keep working through its options rather than waiting for the perfect fit to emerge.
For a roster still looking to sort out the middle of the floor, the remaining possibilities now matter more. Andre Drummond and Moussa Cisse are among the center choices still mentioned for New Orleans, and the challenge is no longer just identifying help, but finding the right move before the board tightens any further. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans May Be Eyeing The Exact Wing This Roster Still Lacks
After adding DeAndre Jordan, the Pelicans are in the familiar summer spot where the margins matter as much as the marquee names. There are only so many roster spots left, and not much cap room to work with, so any move for a wing has to fit both the basketball need and the financial reality. That is why a defensive-minded option like former Portland forward Matisse Thybulle has started to make sense in the background, especially for a team still looking for more length and activity on the perimeter.
Thybulle brings the kind of wing defense New Orleans could use, and his shooting has improved enough to keep him in the conversation as a short-term addition. The question is whether the Pelicans can actually create the space to make a run at him, and how much they are willing to invest in a player whose recent injury history has left plenty of teams cautious. For now, it looks like one of those situations where the fit is obvious, but the path to a deal is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Trey Murphy III Just Became The Pelicans Most Dangerous Trade Decision
Jaylen Brown landing with the 76ers has only sharpened the spotlight on Trey Murphy III, and not just because he is the kind of wing every contender wants. The move has amplified his value around the Eastern Conference, where the market for versatile scoring and two-way length is always thin, and it has put the Pelicans in the middle of a trade conversation they did not create but now have to monitor closely.
Boston is suddenly better positioned to enter the chase after adding fresh draft capital in the Brown deal, and the Celtics now look like one of several East teams that could try to make a serious push. Philadelphia, Toronto, New York and Detroit are also part of the conversation, which only underscores how complicated Murphys market could become for New Orleans if the bidding starts to build. [Read more 🡒]