Pelicans' Demands in Trey Murphy Talks Make an Offseason Trade Unlikely

It's another transaction period, and Trey Murphy is everyone's favorite trade target. The New Orleans Pelicans have been unwilling to trade their talented forward at the deadline or last offseason, but teams around the league aren't giving up. There continues to be significant interest in the 25-year-old sharpshooter. Whether the Pelicans continue to turn down trade offers this summer remains to be seen.

What is already clear is that the Pelicans will drive a hard bargain. They will expect to be bowled over with a trade package that they can't turn down. This is certainly a possibility after NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Tuesday that "other teams absolutely want him."

In his livestream for Bleacher Report on Tuesday, Fischer had important details about the Trey Murphy trade rumors. What he shared makes it less likely that Murphy will be moved this summer.

Fischer said, "I think if the Pelicans were to move Trey Murphy III, it would be for more of a buy-now, get-better type of acquisition."

Pelicans Want to Get Better After Trading Trey Murphy and That May Be Impossible

The problem with this approach is that it's very difficult to find a Murphy trade that would also make the Pelicans a better team in the present.

Any team that trades for Murphy will want to do it to get better. He is a plug-and-play forward who can fit anywhere with his shooting and defense. He is also on a team-friendly contract. Teams will see him as the missing piece to become a dangerous playoff team or a contender.

These teams will not want to send back impactful players who can make the Pelicans better now. They will want to trade younger players and draft capital to acquire Murphy. Expecting to trade Murphy to a team that is trying to get better and getting back a player or players who make the Pelicans better right away is highly unrealistic.

Trades between two teams that want to win now are very rare. One way this could work is through a three-team trade. The Pelicans could either add draft capital next to Murphy and trade for a star, or get back a player of similar value to Murphy from that third team.

Where the Pelicans are as a franchise, giving up more future assets in addition to your most valuable player would be ill-advised. Joe Dumars and the front office presumably aren't interested in such a trade construction anyway.

In the NBA, nothing is impossible. There have been shocking trades that come out of nowhere. There could be a scenario in which the Pels trade Murphy and still take a step forward next season, but that should be considered very unlikely. Which means that the signs are pointing towards Murphy starting the season in New Orleans.

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