A fan-made trade idea making the rounds online would reshape the NBA in a hurry, and the centerpiece is Trey Murphy III landing in San Antonio.
The proposed three-team deal between the Spurs, Celtics, and Pelicans was floated on social media with one simple pitch: “This trade makes every team better and it needs to happen now pic.twitter.com/6GuV6s5Z89”
If the Spurs could pull it off, the payoff would be massive. Murphy would slot into a lineup that already features Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and De'Aaron Fox, and the result would look overwhelming on paper. He brings size, defensive skill, and a scoring game that has grown into something far more dependable, especially from range.
That’s what makes the fit so dangerous. Murphy is described as a cleaner, more versatile version of Julian Champagnie, though the idea doesn’t require Champagnie to be moved.
And beyond the starting five, San Antonio would suddenly have a frightening second unit too. Dylan Harper would be in his second year leading a bench group that includes Tobias Harris, Julian Champagnie, Carter Bryant, Luke Kornet, and Tarris Reed Jr.
The financial side is what makes the concept so intriguing. Murphy’s $27 million would be matched against Keldon Johnson’s $18 million, leaving San Antonio with just a $9 million increase.
That’s manageable now, even if the bill gets steeper later when Wemby’s max extension arrives in 2027-28. The Spurs could also ease that pressure by moving Tobias Harris after one season rather than keeping him for the full two years he signed for.
Murphy’s age only adds to the appeal. He’s 26 and entering his prime, and he’s already shown he can hurt San Antonio in a big way. Fans in Spurs Nation remember the 41 points he scored in November and the 32 he put up in January against the Silver and Black.
Whether Boston or New Orleans would actually go for it is another question. But from the Spurs’ side, the fantasy is obvious: a roster so loaded that it would have the rest of the league looking straight to Adam Silver for help.
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The Spurs have spent the last few years building real momentum around Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, and the payoff has already been obvious in the form of a Finals trip. So when San Antonio went into the 2026 NBA Draft and used the No. 20 pick on Jayden Quaintance, it fit a pattern the front office has leaned into since the rebuild started to accelerate: keep chasing difference-makers, even when the safer route is sitting right there.
Quaintance is the sort of bet that tells you where the Spurs think they are in the cycle. He brings the kind of upside teams usually reserve for much earlier in the draft, but his college rsum is still thin enough to leave plenty of questions attached to the selection. For a franchise that has surged all the way to 62 wins and the Finals, the message is less about playing it safe and more about refusing to settle now that the foundation is in place. [Read more 🡒]
Tarris Reed Jr Is Already Giving The Spurs Something They Needed
The Spurs did not sit still on draft night when they went after Tarris Reed Jr. at No. 26, and the early returns are easy to notice. Reed has already been on the floor in summer league wearing silver and black, and his first impression has centered on the kind of interior presence San Antonio has been looking to add around its young core.
In one of those games, Reed flashed exactly why the Spurs were willing to move up for him, giving them activity on the glass and a physical edge in the paint. His size and strength stand out immediately, and if that carries over, he could become the sort of frontcourt weapon that changes how defenses have to deal with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Fans Suddenly Have A Wild Wemby Question To Consider
Victor Wembanyama is now in the window where the Spurs can lock him into a rookie-scale extension that would put him among the leagues highest-paid young stars. The number attached to that deal is enormous, with incentives capable of pushing it even higher, which is exactly why any discussion around the contract immediately spills beyond simple bookkeeping and into the bigger picture of what San Antonio can build around its franchise centerpiece.
What makes this one worth watching is the idea that there may be some room for flexibility if Wembanyama chooses a path that echoes a recent star example from New York. For the Spurs, that kind of breathing room would not just be about easing the cap sheet in the abstract, but about keeping the door open to a far more ambitious pursuit down the line, one that would have every fan in the building paying attention to the next move. [Read more 🡒]