The Pelicans wing offers the elite perimeter shooting and defensive versatility needed to bridge the gap between Utah’s loaded frontcourt and developing young backcourt rotation.
It seems like every summer, New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III has a price tag. Yet again, many predict Murphy will be traded before this year's deadline.
This offseason was no different — the Celtics, Pistons, Hawks and others all circled, and the Pelicans still walked into training camp with him on the roster, anticipating that he would be penciled in with Zion Williamson in the starting lineup for 2026-27.
None of the rumors had the Utah Jazz's name attached. That doesn't mean the front office can't get it done by the deadline, and it solves a problem they didn't even know they had.
The trade for Jaren Jackson Jr. last February was the moment the switch flipped in the rebuilding process. Paired with Lauri Markkanen, the frontcourt is suddenly loaded, per Utah's logic.
That is part of why the Jazz leaned toward Darryn Peterson over Cameron Boozer at No. 2 overall. They didn't need another big. They needed shooting and size on the perimeter to keep the floor honest.
That wing gap is exactly what Murphy fills.
He's a 6-foot-8 wing who can guard multiple positions, punish a switch and still stretch the defense past the arc. Utah's current wing rotation — Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh, Josh Okogie and Josh Green — is long on potential and short on immediate production.
Murphy is coming off a career year: 21.5 points, 5.7 boards and 3.8 assists a night. He's a career 38% three-point shooter on real volume. Murphy does not need to be ball-dominant to produce, which matters on a team that is realistically building around Keyonte George.
Murphy has proven to be a high-caliber two-way guy who has appeared in 10 playoff games.
He had as a track record of being a low-maintenance locker-room guy with a high IQ on the floor. For a young Jazz team, that could mean a lot.
Murphy signed a four-year, $112 million extension in October 2024, and the Pelicans have set an asking price of multiple first-round picks every time a team has called.
Utah already gave up multiple first-round picks and a haul of players to land Jackson; going back to that well for a third max-level piece would be an aggressive bet on a timeline the Jazz may not be on quite yet.
The Jazz aren't in the Murphy sweepstakes right now, and nothing in the reporting suggests that it will change soon. But the profile on Murphy is solid: a gritty, movement-shooting wing defender in his mid-20s is exactly the kind of player who can turn a team from a fringe contender to a legitimate threat.
If anything, Utah should be in that room if New Orleans is willing to let Murphy go. The timeline and recent trades might not line up with the cost, but the potential on the floor is worth exploring.
