Warriors Reportedly Have ‘strong Affinity' For Pelicans' Trey Murphy Iii

Warriors reportedly have ‘strong affinity' for Pelicans' Trey Murphy III originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors are interested in trading for another player to complement Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.

Golden State has been aggressive in looking for potential trades to fill out the roster, and they have a big interest in New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported.

“Sources say that the Warriors have a strong affinity for Murphy and have made outreach to New Orleans as recently as this summer,” Fischer said. “Yet sources say that the Pelicans, to be clear, have batted away calls for the 25-year-old, valuing him highly. The two-way forward will be playing on a contract in 2025-26 — at precisely $25 million — as desirable as his talent.

With contract talks at a standstill with Jonathan Kuminga, the Golden State front office has been looking elsewhere to find young talent that could complement their core trio. Murphy III would fit in with coach Steve Kerr’s motion-heavy offense, especially considering his shooting skills.

“You could certainly understand why the Warriors would want Murphy,” Fischer said. “It’s not hard to picture his length, defensive prowess and 3-point shooting meshing nicely alongside Curry, Butler and Draymond Green. Murphy is a career 38% shooter from deep; having enough shooting to surround their three core pillars is among the reasons why the Warriors have been willing to go only so far in their Kuminga talks.”

The 25-year-old averaged 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last season with the Pelicans.

Kuminga and the Warriors still are in a stalemate in contract negotiations, with the 22-year-old appearing unwilling to sign a deal that would make it easier for him to be traded next season. That level of long-term security seems to be the sticking point, which has prompted the front office to inquire about trading for other players.

With Curry, Green and Butler still performing at a high level, the challenge for the front office will be to find cheap, young players that can fill out the roster and perform when needed.

Murphy III could be that missing piece if the Pelicans are willing to part with him, though they have a steep asking price so far.

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