New Orleans Pelicans Rejected Warriors' Two First Round Pick Offer For Trey Murphy
· Yahoo Sports
The New Orleans Pelicans have consistently been monitored all offseason long as the NBA world awaits a Trey Murphy trade. The only news coming out is that he is hard to get, commanding three or four first-round picks for a deal to be done.
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That tracks with the latest reporting by Clutch Points' Brett Siegel, who stated that the Pelicans actually turned down an offer of two first-round picks for Murphy. Siegel reiterated the same asking price for three picks and a younger player to pair long-term with Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.
That asking price makes sense. He's a player that they hold very, very dearly. They think he could be an All-Star-level player; he nearly was last season and will be crucial if they want to get back to the playoffs next year.
At the same time, they have these two very exciting young players in Fears and Queen. No one would question it if New Orleans blew up their current core of Murphy/Zion Williamson/Herb Jones and fully focused on the future. Many people have actually suggested it.
The Pelicans just simply don't have to. They would prefer not to rebuild. If they trade Murphy, they can't compete, so they need to be blown away by an offer if they want to.
The Warriors were always going to be a long shot for Murphy, despite having wanting him for so long. Clearly, they weren't able to match the draft capital that the Pelicans have wanted, plus they don't have the players to make up for that fact. For the longest time, Jonathan Kuminga was their best offer. He became a negative asset and is now a free agent.
This would have been the best draft to go all in for him, as they had a solid pick and he would have done more for their immediate chances to win than Yaxel Lendeborg. Now they'll likely just have to wait for Murphy to hit free agency for their next chance at finally landing the white whale.
It doesn't seem like a Murphy trade is coming at this point, at least this offseason. It is certainly something that will be brought up again towards the trade deadline, especially if it is another rough start in New Orleans. He is a talent that teams will always want to add, adding another reason why the Pelicans feel comfortable taking as much time as they need.