Trey Murphy III is one of the dream trade targets for many Detroit Pistons fans, and until the trade deadline mercifully passes, his name will continue to be mentioned as a possibility.
Many NBA pundits and writers like myself have advocated for TMIII as the best “big swing” option if the Pistons are actually going to take one, which looks increasingly unlikely. They don't need to, and if the right deal isn't there, they absolutely shouldn't.
The Pistons are rolling and don’t want to do anything to disrupt their team chemistry. When you add in that the Pelicans have repeatedly said that they aren’t trading Murphy III and this one is as good as dead.
But insider Marc Stein (subscription) opened the door slightly in a recent report saying,
“What would it take to get the Pelicans to relent on their off-cited resistance to trading either Trey Murphy III or Herb Jones?
I've heard this one from multiple teams lately: They would want a Desmond Bane-type offer.”
Desmond Bane has become the most recent go-to example of an overpay in a trade, as the Magic had to give up a boatload of picks to get him and are currently in the 8th seed with a losing record, undoubtedly one of the biggest disappointments of the season so far, as many had them as a top three team in the Eastern Conference.
Bane hasn’t been horrible, but his shooting numbers are down a tick, and he hasn’t been enough to boost the Magic offense.
So, it’s natural teams would be reluctant to make their own Desmond Bane-like trade, but these two situations are not the same.
What would a Desmond Bane-like trade even look like for the Pistons and Trey Murphy III?
I’ve long been on team “let them cook,” as I don’t think the Pistons need to make a radical move to contend this season. Yes, they could use more shooting, but they are finding ways to win anyway, and don’t want to jostle their team chemistry too much.
But if you are going to take a swing, TMIII is the right type of guy, as he fits what they need as a very good wing shooter who is young and under a reasonable contract for several more seasons after this one.
TMIII’s contract ranges from $27-31 million in the three seasons after this one, far less than what the Magic are paying Bane ($39-44) million, so TMIII is not a cap killer.
If the Pelicans are actually telling teams they will trade him only for a Bane-deal, then the Pistons could satisfy their demands with four first-round picks and a swap, as long as like the Magic, they didn’t have to throw in any of their best young players.
The Pels would obviously want Ivey or Holland, but if they want all of those picks, they may have to settle for a Caris LeVert, Marcus Sasser, Bobi Klintman platter of players instead.
If landing TMIII only took draft picks, it’s a tempting idea for the Pistons, as those picks aren’t likely to be good ones anyway, and they would then have enough young talent to compete for the foreseeable future.
I have my doubts that the Pels are actually interested in trading TMIII, and it’s certainly arguable that he’s not worth four picks, but of all the big names being floated out there, he might make the most sense for the long-term plans.