The Golden State Warriors might need to pry Trey Murphy III from the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans, who don't seem particularly interested in dealing the 25 year-old on the first year of a 4-year, $112 million contract.
If that changes over the next two weeks, and the Dubs can acquire the sharpshooting Murphy, they probably shouldn't expect him to solve all the team's woes. Replacing Jimmy Butler with Trey Murphy is about as good a job of pivoting as a team can do, but the Warriors are probably two difference-makers away from having a shouting chance in the Western Conference. As painful as it is to admit, without a mega-blockbuster (or another Murphy-sized deal), the Warriors remain a tier below the big guns in the West.
Murphy would be a heck of a difference-maker, though. His scoring ability would immediately make him the third-most important Warrior behind Steph and Draymond. So, if Murphy himself doesn't propel this team to the heights that fans hoped for, him having three more full years on his contract solves the Warriors' biggest issue going forward; a lack of young, cornerstone talent. In other words, a trade for Murphy would be a massive move for the Warriors... eventually.
Trey Murphy III would be a long-term solution for Warriors
Any trade for Murphy III (which the Warriors should do everything in their power to do) will be done with the future in mind, not just the 2025-26 season — which now has a dark cloud hanging over it after Butler's injury. Jimmy provided high-level playmaking that Murphy doesn't, and that's hard to replicate, especially for an offensive system so reliant on ball movement.
Of course, he would be good in the interim, too. But the Warriors are going up against the defending champion OKC Thunder and the upstart San Antonio Spurs in the West, not to mention the Nuggets and Rockets. With what we've seen from this team post-Jimmy injury (losses to Toronto and Dallas), one good scorer, even one as exciting as Trey Murphy, isn't getting this team into that echelon.
This isn't to dissuade the Warriors from pursuing the best wing player on the market (if he's even on the market). But Warriors fans also shouldn't hinge the hopes of a championship in 2025-26 on Trey Murphy III. And if the Pelicans are serious about their uninterest in moving him, it might not matter anyway.