The Detroit Pistons' interest in Trey Murphy III is officially starting to raise some serious eyebrows as the NBA Draft looms closer.
For months, it seemed like it would take an extremely enticing offer for the New Orleans Pelicans to even consider moving on from their 25-year-old standout.
Nonetheless, NBA Insider Marc Stein reported (subscription), on Friday, that the Pelicans are officially starting to field offers for their versatile forward and he directly name-dropped the Pistons as a team heavily interested in pursuing the All-Star caliber wing.
Considering all expectations heading into the summer were that Trajan Langdon would do what is necessary to find star guard Cade Cunningham some help, it shouldn't come as a surprise to see Detroit preparing to make an all-out pursuit for Murphy III.
If the Pistons do elect to do whatever it takes to land the former first-round pick, Pistons fans can almost certainly forget about making a selection on night one in 2026 in the NBA Draft.
Pistons will have to send a haul to land Trey Murphy III
New Orleans doesn't have a clear direction, and the team hopes that the hiring of Jamahl Mosley will help them find one.
Still, the Pelicans understand that if they want to take the next step, moves will have to be made, given that the team's current roster didn't come anywhere close to the playoffs this season.
Murphy III is arguably the Pelicans' most reliable offensive option, and fresh off a career year, averaging 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, it doesn't come as a shock to hear that several teams in the league are interested in the forward.
To pry him away from New Orleans, though, will take a lot, as Stein alluded to in his report.
"As one team interested in Murphy put it to me this week: 'They want a lot.'," Stein wrote.
Matching Murphy's salary is the least of the Pistons' worries in trade negotiations, and while it may cost a young talent like Ron Holland II, landing a young running mate for Cunningham makes it worth the cost.
Nonetheless, it'll almost certainly take a solid amount of draft capital to persuade the Pelicans to actually pull the trigger on a deal, and with that being the case, it's safe to assume that Detroit's No. 21 overall pick in the first round would almost certainly be part of an outgoing package.
If that's what it takes to land Murphy, the Pistons probably won't even blink an eye, and nobody in the fanbase could blame them.
For anyone hoping that a lottery-level talent could slide to them in the draft, though, those wishes can be put to rest unless Murphy's market doesn't truly heat up until after the draft concludes.
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