Can the Atlanta Hawks make a blockbuster trade for New Orleans Pelicans swingman Trey Murphy III?
According to NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Atlanta Hawks remain interested in trading for New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III.
The Hawks have several future first-round picks and tradeable contracts to dangle.
Murphy is one of the best two-way forwards in the NBA. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game for the Pelicans last season while shooting 47.0% from the field, 37.9% from beyond the arc and 88.6% from the free-throw line. The 26-year-old would be a terrific fit next to Jalen Johnson in Atlanta.
Murphy will make $27 million next season. He doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract. The North Carolina native has career averages of 15.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in the regular season and 7.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in the playoffs. He's a three-level scorer who can defend positions 1-4 and has one of the prettiest jumpers in the league.
Atlanta lost to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2026 playoffs in six games. Murphy could be the missing piece the Hawks need to win a championship. He's better suited to play for a playoff team at this stage of his career, and the Pelicans are still in rebuild mode.
Murphy was teammates with Atlanta shooting guard CJ McCollum in New Orleans. The Hawks have already re-signed McCollum, who had a strong rapport with Murphy on the Pelicans.
It will be fascinating to see if the Hawks can pull off a blockbuster trade for Murphy this summer. A "Big 3" of Murphy, Johnson and McCollum looks dangerous on paper.
The Hawks haven't won a playoff series since 2021. That's the year Trae Young led the franchise to the Eastern Conference Finals.
If Atlanta wants to win big in the Johnson era, the front office has to acquire Murphy. Let's see if it gets done.
In the meantime, the Pelicans have shown reluctance to trade Murphy, along with other key players, in recent years. It would surely require a significant haul of draft capital for New Orleans to be willing to make any potential move.
With the NBA Draft already past, the Hawks lose the chance to trade back New Orleans the No. 8 overall pick, which was originally acquired in the deal Atlanta made sending away the No. 13 pick in exchange for the No. 23 pick and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick.
