Report: Draft-Pick Price Revealed for Trey Murphy III, Michael Porter Jr. Trades

The Golden State Warriors are looking for a significant wing upgrade on the trade market, and the two hottest names are Trey Murphy III and Michael Porter Jr.

NBC Sports Bay Area's Dalton Johnson asked a league source what it would cost to acquire them.

"One league source speculated Trey Murphy’s price tag would cost giving the Pelicans three first-round picks, and two to the Nets for Michael Porter Jr., if either player is available."

Is Murphy Worth 3 1st-Round Picks?

It makes sense that Murphy is more expensive. At 25 years old, he's younger than the 27-year-old Porter. He's under contract through 2028-29, while Porter is signed through 2026-27. Murphy is making an average of $28 milllion on his four-year contract, while Porter is making $38.3 million this season and $40.8 million next season.

Perhaps most importantly, Porter has had serious lower back injuries in the past, whereas Murphy has never had a serious injury.

Murphy is averaging 21.3 points per game on 49.5 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from three. At 6'8", he's long and athletic. He has the potential to be an impact defender.

Of course, not all first-round picks are created equal. For example, if the Warriors gave up firsts in 2026, 2028 and 2032, the latter two picks could be high in the lottery.

That's why that price point may be too rich for Joe Lacob and the Warriors front office. But to answer the subhead question, I think three first-round picks is a reasonable ask for Murphy.

Is Porter Worth 2 1st-Round Picks?

Porter is slightly bigger (6'10") than Murphy and a better scorer, as he's averaging 25.9 points on 49.5 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three. He's not as athletic and has less potential to play impactful defense.

But otherwise, he's a perfect fit.

His ability to use screens to get open shots is reminiscent of Klay Thompson during his tenure with the Warriors.

Acquiring Porter would lead to more immediate questions about his contract status. Would the Warriors extend him with a $200 million-plus deal? If they don't, would that make the trade price a ripoff?

Those are hard questions to answer. Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green (player option) are signed through 2026-27. I'm not sure the Warriors know what their plan is for the 2027-28 season and beyond.

But from an immediate on-court perspective, he's undoubtedly worth two first-round picks.

Porter Trade Is More Realistic

The main reason is Porter will likely cost less to acquire. But the other reason is the Nets might feel more incentivized to cash in on him now.

Just six months ago, the Nets acquired Porter AND a 2032 unprotected first-round pick from the Nuggets for Cam Johnson. At the time, it wasn't clear how much of a swindle this was, as the Nuggets were not only getting a similar player in Johnson but also saving a ton of money to give the more cap flexibility.

If the Nets were to then trade Porter for two first-round picks, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Buddy Hield, they would be celebrated for incredible asset management.

The last hurdle is that mutiple reports say the Nets have no interest in Kuminga, but even that doesn't seem like a deal-breaker. They can decline the team option for him in the offseason and have more cap space.

But if they'd rather have a different player, they'd need a third team to get involved who would give up something of value to them for Kuminga. It's a hurdle, no doubt, but it should be possible to clear.