Can the New Orleans Pelicans turn Trey Murphy III into an NBA star?
The New Orleans Pelicans hired their new head coach a couple of weeks ago in Jamahl Mosley, who just spent five seasons at the helm of the Orlando Magic.
Though Mosley was fired, he is a respected coach who just turned around a franchise who had been a bottom-feeder for a while. There is reason to have hope that he can do the same with the Pelicans.
There is talent on this New Orleans roster, but the overall product has always been lesser than the sum of its parts. Perhaps Mosley will be the one to find the solution.
Mosley has made it known that he plans to do it on the defensive side of the ball and will be demanding of effort from his players. There is going to be a new culture in the Pelicans' locker room, which will lead to new opportunities for returning players.
Perhaps more than anyone else on the team, Trey Murphy has the most to gain from this hire. He is already a well-respected player, but is on the verge of making an All-Star turn and could be a true star in this league if he produces like he has on a winning team.
There have been endless rumors about a trade of Murphy this offseason. While it might happen, it would have to be for a shocking haul in order to not seem like a massive oversight.
The 25-year-old is coming off a season where he posted 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 points on 47.0/37.9/88.6. He was the team's best player, and now has a chance to fully take over the lead role on this team with this new staff.
Anyone who watched the Magic knows that Franz Wagner was the best/most important piece to the puzzle for what Orlando did. That's a tall wing who can shoot, playmake, and rebound. The biggest difference between him and Murphy is the defensive side of things.
Wagner has been more productive there, but the Magic are a much better defensvie team overall. If New Orleans as a whole improves its defense, its fair to imagine things look better for Murphy as well.
The former Virginia Cavaliers wing is set to make $27 million next season. He's making $60 million over the two years. That is an amazing value for the Pelicans, and he is a perfect player to pair with the young talent on this roster.
It would be a mistake to trade him right now.
