New Orleans Pelicans sharpshooter Trey Murphy, leading in recent makes, was overlooked for the three-point contest. Did the NBA snub him?
The NBA has announced the participants for the three-point contest, and much to the chagrin of New Orleans Pelicans fans, Trey Murphy's name was not on the list.
This wasn't a case of him turning down an invite, though, as that would have been an easier pill for fans to swallow.
"I would have participated if I was invited," said Murphy after Monday night's win over the Sacramento Kings. Despite leading the NBA in made threes for this month, the league decided to look past the Pelicans' sharpshooter.
When asked if he believed it was a snub, Murphy sat and laughed for a second before responding: "I'll let y'all be the judge of that."
So it's time to figure it out. Was Murphy really snubbed?
Here is the full list of participants who will take the court on Saturday night:
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks
Norman Powell, Miami Heat
Before getting into opinions and whatnot. Here is how Murphy ranks among these players in some relevant categories for this season, up to the date these were announced:
Three Pointers Made
1. Mitchell, 180
2. Knueppel, 174
3. Maxey, 169
4. Murphy, 161
5. Murray, 156
6. Powell, 125
7. Portis, 92
8. Booker, 71
9. Lillard, 0
Other names that made a significant amount of threes and were not included: Stephen Curry (175), Donte DiVencenzo (168), Collin Gillespie (160), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (159), Tim Hardaway Jr. (151), Michael Porter Jr. (150)
Three-Point Percentage
1. Portis, 45.1%
2. Murray, 43.2%
3. Knueppel, 42.8%
4. Powell, 39.3%
5. Maxey, 38.2%
6. Mitchell, 37.9%
7. Murphy, 37.8%
8. Booker, 30.7%
9. Lillard, 0%
Other names that make a significant amount of their threes (min. 100 makes) and were not included: Jaylon Tyson (47.8%), Cam Spencer (46.0%), Max Christie (42.9%), Collin Gillespie (42.6%), Tim Hardaway Jr. (40.4%)
Averaging the ranking of both
1. Knueppel
2. Mitchell
3. Murray
4. Maxey
5. Portis
6. Powell
7. Murphy
8. Booker
9. Lillard
Also, just to save space, Murphy would rank first in makes and fifth in percentage if just looking at it since the calendar flipped over to 2026. It does seem relevant to weigh in on recency, given that the players obviously will need some momentum entering the competition.
Or, maybe they don't. At least that must be the thinking of the NBA, as Lillard is competing despite not having played a game this season.
While a bit frustrating as it takes a spot away from someone who has earned it this year, it's not hard to see why the league did it. He will certainly draw in more viewers and is a two-time champion. The possibility of him winning it despite injury would certainly be entertaining for most NBA fans.
The real inclusion that makes zero sense is Booker. He had the fewest number of makes of any active player on the list and is shooting the worst percentage by far. He's a former champion, but that was back in 2018.
The rest can be explained away fairly easily. Bobby Portis doesn't have the volume, but is making an absurd amount of his shots and is the only big. Powell has nearly 40 fewer makes than Murphy, but is making a good percentage on a flashy offense. The others are self-explanatory.
Final Verdict
Yes, Murphy was absolutely snubbed from the competition. He should have been in over at least Devin Booker and probably a couple of other names as well.
Here is a look at an alternate timeline contest that makes a bit more sense in terms of what has actually been accomplished this season:
Official Pelicans Roundtable Three-Point Contest
Kon Knueppel
Donovan Mitchell
Tyrese Maxey
Jamal Murray
Trey Murphy III
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Naz Reid
Collin Gillespie