The New Orleans Pelicans received a ton of trade interest in Trey Murphy, but they didn't reciprocate.
The entire NBA world seemed certain that the New Orleans Pelicans would trade Trey Murphy before the draft, but it turns out that may have just been because of just how many people wanted him.
The Pelicans front office instead decided not to move up in the draft, and keep the star forward for themselves. As it appears, a trade may have never actually been too close to materializing.
New Orleans is a team that wants to compete. It had been repeated since the trade deadline that it would take more than picks to get Murphy from them. They know what they have and don't seem to undervalue him.
During a post-draft episode of "The Zach Lowe Show," host and NBA insider Zach Lowe mentioned that the Pelicans weren't too keen on moving on from their star:
"I think a lot of teams hit the Pelicans about Trey Murphy, and if they could take swings on him, and they were, I think, a little surprised that Pelicans, from what I heard, didn't really engage too much on Trey Murphy talks."
Actions speak far louder than words, so the fact that he is still on the roster with so many interested teams makes it clear that Murphy is a part of the current plans for this franchise.
There is no clear reason to move on from the star in the first place. He just turned 26, fits perfectly next to both the veterans and the rookies, is on a team-friendly deal for three more years and seems to like it in the city.
Heading into next season, keeping Murphy is what puts them in the best position to win games. Any trade would have delved them further into a rebuild, which is something that they seem to want to avoid.
