The Denver Nuggets can't afford not to make roster changes before next season after flaming out in Game 7 of the semifinals for the second year in a row. Perhaps the front office (including whoever the new GM will be) will turn to the Pelicans for an answer, as Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor confirmed in his latest mock draft that there are "no untouchables in New Orleans."
Does the name Trey Murphy III ring a bell? It should. The soon-to-be 25-year-old wing is the exact kind of player the Nuggets are missing. If New Orleans is selling under its new front office regime (and it should be), Murphy is a player that would receive significant interest around the league. The majority of the inquiries the Pelicans would get would most likely be about Murphy.
He signed a four-year, $112 million extension with New Orleans last October, locking him in through the 2028-29 season. Murphy will make $25 million in 2025-26, $27 million in 2026-27, $29 million in 2027-28, and $31 million in 2028-29. That is quite a bargain for a player of his caliber.
He averaged a career-high 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game this past season, shooting 45.4% from the field and 36.1% from three. Murphy's season was cut short -- 53 games -- after he suffered a torn labrum and partial tear of the rotator cuff in March. He had surgery at the end of that month and is expected to make a full recovery in time for next season.
Pelicans wing Trey Murphy is the Nuggets' dream acquisition
What would keep Murphy from going to Denver? For starters, New Orleans. If the Pelicans trade him, it would signal a rebuild, meaning New Orleans would prioritize receiving draft picks and young players. Guess what the Nuggets don't have? The necessary draft assets and young players. Does that mean a deal won't happen? No, but one is still unlikely.
It's hard not to envision what it'd be like with Murphy on the Nuggets, though. His shooting, size (six-foot-eight with a seven-foot wingspan), and versatility are what Denver needs. Murphy is only getting better, too. Imagine what he could do within a competent organization, as the Pelicans have been a mess the past several years.
From Murphy's standpoint, why wouldn't he want to play with Nikola Jokic, who makes his teammates better? He'd get to help Denver push for another title, something that he won't come close to doing in New Orleans, to no fault of his own.
He's a player who is worth keeping tabs on throughout the summer, as he could be on the move. It's okay to dream, Nuggets fans.