The NBA trade floodgates have opened. Button down the hatches, stars are about to start flying off the shelves now that December 15th (the date when newly signed players can be traded) has passed. In the time I spent writing this paragraph, the Warriors have probably added yet another All-Star.
Okay — that's dramatic. There are seldom any meaningful trades in December, although we have passed an important date in the trade season calendar, so trades could happen any second. Is it time for the Warriors to make a call to the New Orleans Pelicans for Trey Murphy III?
Murphy is emerging as one of the names to watch at the deadline. Granted, a lot of the speculation that he may be traded comes from the fact that he's a good player on a bad team, and that the Warriors have an "open desire" to add him, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic — the Pelicans themselves aren't chomping at the bit to rid themselves of the best player on their team.
But if they do get to the point where trading Murphy III feels like their only course of action, the Warriors should be first in line. Because it'll be a long line. Murphy III would fit just about anywhere; a plug-and-play wing who can create (and make) his own shot at a high volume is what every team searches for every year.
Warriors should be willing to pay a steep price for Murphy III
If you ask a Pelicans fan, they'll want multiple first-round picks and young talent on team-friendly deals. If you ask potential Murphy III suitors what they'd be willing to give up for him, the answer is... Not even close to that.
He's not a perfect player. But he is undoubtedly a player who gets this Warriors team closer to real contention in the Western Conference, and he's under team control for three more years after this season. He's exactly what this team wants either Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody to turn into. Instead of holding onto those guys and hoping they morph into Trey Murphy, why not simply add Trey Murphy in exchange for those guys and a fair amount of draft compensation?
Fans of every team overrate their own guys, and underrate guys on other teams. It's a tale as old as time. And they should do that! Ride for your guys! But Trey Murphy III would instantly be the most talented, productive, promising young player on this Warriors team, and he'd form a legit core four with Steph, Jimmy, and Draymond, not just a hypothetical one like the current crop of young players do.