A light Instagram comment from Ty Jerome turned Trey Murphy’s name back into the trade conversation on Friday, even if it looked more like a joke than a real pitch.
With the New Orleans Pelicans idle, Murphy posted an innocent photo dump on Instagram, and the Memphis Grizzlies guard jumped into the comments with, “streets said you coming to the grizz.” Tyler Shough also chimed in with the goat emoji for New Orleans Saints fans.
The comment fits into a much bigger backdrop around Murphy, who has spent the past calendar year drawing interest from teams hoping New Orleans might eventually move him. The Pelicans, though, have not shown much interest in doing that. They’ve held on so far, and they still view Murphy as a player who helps them win right now.
That doesn’t mean the calls have stopped. Chris Dodson of ClutchPoints reported earlier Friday that Memphis was among the teams monitoring the Pelicans’ trade block, which gave Jerome’s comment a little extra buzz.
Murphy’s name has been in trade talks for a long time, but the situation around him has not really shifted on New Orleans’ side. The Pelicans know he could bring back a haul if the right team were willing to pay up, but they also know what he means to their current roster. If someone truly wanted to “overpay” for the forward, that could change things.
What has kept the chatter alive this season is Murphy’s changing role. With the team healthy, his usage has dipped.
He’s taking about four fewer shots and two fewer threes per game than he did last year, when he averaged 21.5 points. This season, he’s at 14.2 points per game.
Still, he’s shown what he can do when the offense flows through him. Against the Denver Nuggets, he put up 26 points on 17 shots, the kind of night that reminds everyone why teams keep watching him so closely. There have also been a few moments that could be read as frustration.
For now, though, there’s no real sign a deal is close. The Pelicans have not suggested they’re more willing to move him, and this season is still in its early stages with a new offense and new roles in place. If anything changes, the deadline is the likeliest time for that conversation to get serious again.
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