Potential Trade for Underappreciated Young Wing by San Antonio Spurs
As it becomes more and more clear that the trade market for Brandon Ingram is not as hot as the New Orleans Pelicans would have liked, they might be able to talk him into signing a discount contract extension, since it’s clear that his market value is not that high.
If the Pelicans pivot to a future with Ingram included, they will still have some tough choices to make, and the San Antonio Spurs could capitalize. Trey Murphy III is yet to sign his rookie extension, and he and the Pelicans are reportedly looking at vastly different numbers in negotiations. The Spurs have the cap space and the trade assets to make a deal with the Pelicans to take Murphy off of their hands.
Murphy, 24, averaged 14.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists for the Pelicans last season. He shot 38 percent from behind the arc and is one of the better wing defenders in the league. He’s not on the same level as teammate Herb Jones, but it’s clear that he could be a solid two-way force.
New Orleans will likely not be eager to part ways with him, but with their back pushed up against the salary cap, they don’t have much wiggle room. The Spurs offer some cap relief and can give them more draft picks than nearly any other team in the league.
The only downside is as division rivals, the Pelicans would get plenty of opportunities to see what they’re missing. As New Orleans goes all-in on winning now with CJ McCollum, Zion Williamson, and Dejounte Murray, they have some difficult money issues to navigate. While they likely don’t want to see any of their promising talents leave, they will have to pick who to keep and who to flip.
Related: Where Does Devin Vassell Rank in Top-100 List? Long-term, Murphy would slot into the starting lineup with the Spurs and create a devastating defensive lineup featuring him, Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, and Jeremy Sochan.
