The San Antonio Spurs may not need to wait until the 2027 trade deadline to start thinking about one of the most intriguing names that could hit the market. New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy has been floating through trade chatter since the start of last season, and while he looks likely to open next season in New Orleans, a move before the deadline is still on the table.
The biggest obstacle right now is price. The Pelicans have reportedly asked for three first-round picks, and there’s no sign teams are eager to pay that kind of haul for him.
That doesn’t mean Murphy lacks value. It means the teams most interested in him may not have enough to meet New Orleans’ asking price.
San Antonio is one of the few clubs that can actually make a deal work. The Spurs have the draft capital and the matching salary pieces to put together a serious offer.
A framework involving Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, and Jordan McLaughlin - with McLaughlin possibly routed to a third team - would work financially. On the pick side, though, the Pelicans probably won’t land the three firsts they’re seeking.
A more realistic Spurs package could center on the 2027 Atlanta Hawks first-round pick, along with perhaps the Sacramento Kings’ 2031 pick swap. Another route would be multiple second-round picks paired with the Hawks selection. Either way, San Antonio would be bringing in another athletic wing who can score and stretch the floor.
And Murphy would bring plenty of production. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 21.3 points per game, built largely on his perimeter shooting. He’s hitting 37.9% from 3-point range on 8.6 attempts per game, and he’s also been highly efficient from 2-point range thanks to his athleticism, his ability to finish at the rim, and his work on alley-oops.
In San Antonio, Murphy would likely slot into the starting five alongside De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie, and Victor Wembanyama. That would send Devin Vassell to the bench and shift Johnson out of that role, with Vassell joining Dylan Harper, Tobias Harris, and Luke Kornet on the second unit.
For the Spurs, the appeal is straightforward: Murphy would add more shooting, more length, and another legit scoring threat. Since he’d essentially be stepping into Johnson’s spot, the fit is easy to picture. The Pelicans may choose to wait until the deadline to move him, but if the asking price comes down, San Antonio should be right there.
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Spurs Rookie Could Force A Tough Change Behind Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama is set atop the Spurs frontcourt hierarchy, but the real intrigue may come behind him, where the battle for backup center minutes is already taking shape. Rookie Tarris Reed Jr. has entered the mix alongside veteran Luke Kornet, and San Antonio has reason to view the competition as a healthy one, especially with the roster looking deeper and more functional in the paint than it has in recent seasons.
Reed brings the kind of size and physical presence that can change the tone of a second unit on both ends of the floor, and that gives this race a little more weight than a routine camp fight for minutes. Kornet still has experience on his side, but the Spurs could be forced into a tougher decision if Reeds impact shows up quickly, because the frontcourt rotation may be one of the more important places for San Antonio to gain an edge this season. [Read more 🡒]
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For Johnson, the shift points toward a more specialized role than the one he has carried before, one built less around creation and more around doing the dirty work that helps the lineup function. How well that translates alongside the teams newer pieces and the players pushing for bigger on-ball opportunities will be one of camps more interesting storylines, because the Spurs are clearly treating this as more than a minor tweak. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Are Becoming A Matchup Nightmare Defenses Can't Solve
The Spurs are starting to look like the kind of team defenses have to solve in layers, and that is a problem when Victor Wembanyama is already forcing one set of adjustments. Add De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, two guards with very different ways of putting pressure on the floor, and San Antonio suddenly has multiple ways to tilt a possession before the defense even gets settled.
What makes the group even trickier is how the supporting cast fits around those headliners. Dylan Harper gives the Spurs another downhill presence to keep the offense moving, while Tobias Harris adds a veteran option who can fit into different matchups and make opponents choose their compromises carefully. For teams trying to game-plan a night in San Antonio, the challenge is not just stopping one star, but figuring out which version of the Spurs is coming at them next. [Read more 🡒]