A disastrous start to the season for the New Orleans Pelicans has arisen optimism among Golden State Warriors fans of a trade for young wing Trey Murphy III, but it may indeed work against them according to one notable insider.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst was asked on Threads where the Pelicans go amid their conference-worst 2-13 record that's included more injury issues. Yet instead of suggesting that the embattled franchise could look to tear it down and enter more of a rebuilding mode, Windhorst actually believes New Orleans could look at a win-now trade to address their current issues.
Pelicans may look at win-now trade rather than Trey Murphy III move
Trying to guess what the Pelicans are going to do is like trying to pick a needle out of a haystack, particularly after their draft night trade for Derik Queen that still looks very questionable despite the young forward's impressive start to his NBA career.
That trade might be exactly why Joe Dumars and the front office now looks at a win-now move though, with New Orleans relinquishing full control of their 2026 first-round pick in order to acquire Queen.
Brian Windhorst on Threads is saying the Pelicans may consider a “win now” trade 🤨 pic.twitter.com/w6LupetPlF
— Jono Barnes (@JonoBarnes) November 20, 2025
The Pelicans can't afford to blow it up, but there is an argument to suggest they should try to re-cooperate some assets even if it's not their own. The best way to do that would be to look at trading Murphy, with the Warriors and Spurs alreasdy registering their interest in the 25-year-old during the offseason.
Murphy has bounced back following a slow start to the season, and is now averaging 19.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting an efficient 46.8% from the floor and 38.1% from 3-point range.
A $25 million salary makes Murphy the ideal piece for the Warriors, allowing them to keep the veteran trio of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green in tact as opposed to higher-priced stars like Anthony Davis and Lauri Markkanen.
There'll be no shortage of rival teams interested though if Murphy does become available, but Golden State do have some hope given their future picks are more valuable than those of other playoff contenders around the league.
It could all be a moot point if the Pelicans want to go in the other direction, potentially sending the Warriors back to the drawing board as they explore their options, particularly once Jonathan Kuminga becomes eligible to be moved on January 15.