Fans of the Detroit Pistons are dreaming of the big summer acquisition that could get the team out of the second round and into the NBA Finals, and Trey Murphy III has been a popular name.
On many levels it makes sense, as TMIII is the type of scoring wing the Pistons lack, Trajan Langdon drafted the guy, and the Pelicans front office is full of former Pistons employees.
But there is also the reality of the situation, which is that the Pelicans have no reason to trade him given that he’s locked into a team-friendly deal, and New Orleans hopes to compete at some point in the near future.
That may be delusional given the state of their roster, but trading one of their best players for a bunch of picks that will likely be in the 20’s has limited appeal, as it’s unlikely the Pels would find a player of TMIII’s talent in that range.
If the Pelicans are going to trade Murphy III, they want players, which is the asset the Pistons don’t have.
The New Orleans Pelicans want a win-now player for Trey Murphy III
According to insider Jake Fischer, the Pelicans would not be satisfied with a package based around draft picks, saying, “"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."
This is exactly what Pistons fans don’t want to hear, as any trade package the Pistons can piece together would need to be composed largely of draft picks and expiring contracts, as they don’t have a “get better” type of player they can afford to give up.
Most of the trade proposals you see revolve around guys like Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland II and draft compensation. None of those players qualify as a win-now type of guy, as the first three are roles players, and Holland is just 20 and couldn’t get off the bench in the playoffs.
Even if the Pelicans were to accept a trade package that was mostly draft picks, there are other teams that could get involved and outbid the Pistons, which makes TMIII an expensive option that isn’t worth the cost.
Trey Murphy III is not that guy
I’ve written about this before, but TMIII has become a bit of a mythological creature for some Pistons fans, many of whom have never seen the guy play.
He’s a nice player, and yes, I’d love him in Detroit, but he’s not a creator and is mostly just a standstill shooter, which the Pistons need, but not at a superstar price.
The reported cost for TMIII is getting into Giannis territory, and Giannis he ain’t.
This is a classic case of the idea of a player being better than the actual player, and given the exorbitant cost, this is a pipe dream that will likely remain one.
Add us as a preferred source on Google