Trey Murphy III has re-emerged as a potential trade target for the Golden State Warriors in the coming weeks, but so too has Kawhi Leonard's name once again come up in recent speculation.
In fact, the possibility of acquiring Murphy might be hiding Leonard being the real Warriors' target, at least according to Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports who believes Golden State "still want Kawhi" after they pursued him in the final hours leading up to February's mid-season deadline.
Trey Murphy III rumors could be hiding Warriors' real target
Murphy fits so many needs for the Warriors in terms of size, athleticism, position and, perhaps most importantly, the sort of talented youth coming into the prime of his career that the roster otherwise significantly lacks.
Golden State have coveted Murphy for years, and the dream of landing the 6'8" wing may be closer than ever consider the New Orleans Pelicans' desire for a first-round pick in next week's NBA Draft -- something the Warriors posess with the valuable 11th overall pick.
However, for as fanastic an acquisition as Murphy would be, there's no denying the fact that Leonard is still the better player in the short-term, having just come off what was his best ever regular season from a sheer numbers perspective.
Perhaps the Warriors have a real desire to give Stephen Curry one more shot at a meaningful run next season, and that's why Leonard could be the real priority trade target as opposed to Murphy which O'Connor alluded to on his podcast.
.@KevinOConnor, in reference to Anthony Slater's article, on the options of Trey Murphy or Kawhi Leonard for the Warriors:
— Chef (@CurryForGame) June 18, 2026
"[Anthony] Slater goes on to write how 'Trey Murphy is the more obtainable wing for the Warriors to target.' He said 'The Pelicans have clung tightly to… pic.twitter.com/H8yILwtIDm
The cost of both players in a trade may be somewhat similar from a draft capital standpoint. Murphy might be slightly more expensive given his age and cost-controlled contract, plus Golden State would have to reckon with sacrificing Jimmy Butler as a salary-matching piece in a Leonard trade.
Warriors could mathematically trade for both players
It remains unlikely that the Warriors get their hands on even one of these players, but it is technically and mathematically possible for the franchise to land both if they were willing to completely reshape their team and give up the future draft assets in the process.
However, it seems Golden State and others are likely to be more conservative with draft assets considering the recent flattening of lottery odds, while this is a front office that's been fairly stingy with relinquishing picks anyway over recent years.
The Warriors might have to pick a lane on who they'd prefer out of Murphy and Leonard, and based on O'Connor's analysis/intel, they might be veering towards the proven veteran forward who's a 2x Finals MVP.
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