The Golden State Warriors may have been stonewalled when they showed interest in Trey Murphy III during the offseason, but that may not be so much the case over the next couple of months given the dire situation at the New Orleans Pelicans.
Not only have the Warriors had reported interest in Murphy previously, but so too his teammate Herb Jones who may also become available in what could be a massive and ideal two-player move for Golden State before the deadline.
Warriors could make huge swing for both Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer in his Bleacher Report live stream this week, the Pelicans may now be listening to offers for both Murphy and Jones as they focus their roster build around the young combination of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.
"And there are definitely teams that have told me as recently as today that New Orleans is now starting to listen and at least show some willingness to listen on Herb Jones and Trey Murphy as well," Fischer said. "Those guys are going to have a lot of interest around the league. They're both on very strong long-term contracts that are considered relatively team-friendly. Under $30 million in average annual value, which is a big threshold in this current market."
If this report is in anyway true, it presents a huge opportunity for the Warriors to improve the roster around their veteran core and build the sort of championship-contending squad that doesn't look apparent right now.
The best aspect to Murphy and Jones is that their contracts are reasonable enough that Golden State could theoretically acquire both players without losing any of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green.
The Warriors could package together Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield and a raft of future picks to bring in both Murphy and Jones. Perhaps the Pelicans also ask for Brandin Podziemski and give Golden State another cheaper contract heading to the Bay.
Obviously it will be dependant on how many of their future picks the Warriors are willing to relinquish, particularly if Giannis Antetokounmpo's future remains uncertain and the front office prefers that dream over the Pelicans duo.
Murphy and Jones would inject the Warriors with new found athleticism, shooting, perimeter defense and shot-making, making them theoretically a better team on both ends of the floor and especially offensively where Murphy is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season.