Trey Murphy III Drawing Interest From Warriors and Spurs
The NBA trade rumor mill never sleeps, and right now it’s churning with whispers about one of the league’s most promising young wings. Trey Murphy III has become the latest name to capture the attention of two franchises with championship aspirations, but New Orleans isn’t budging.
According to Jake Fischer’s recent report for The Stein Line, both the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs have made their interest in the 25-year-old forward crystal clear. But what makes this story particularly fascinating is that the Pelicans aren’t even entertaining offers.
Warriors’ Pursuit Falls Short
The Warriors’ fascination with Trey Murphy III isn’t exactly breaking news in NBA circles. Golden State has maintained “a strong affinity” for the Virginia product and reached out to New Orleans as recently as this summer. But if you’re expecting fireworks, you might want to temper those expectations.
New Orleans has essentially slammed the door shut on any Murphy discussions, and frankly, who can blame them? The 6’8″ wing is coming off a breakout campaign where he averaged 21.2 points per game. That’s quite a significant leap from his previous two seasons, where he hovered around 14.6 points per contest.
That kind of production doesn’t just walk out the door without a fight. What makes this particularly intriguing for Warriors fans is the team’s current standoff with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. While Golden State is still negotiating with Kuminga, they’re also looking at other players out there. It’s a classic case of having your cake and eating it, too. Except the bakery isn’t selling it.
Here’s what drives Warriors management crazy about this situation: Trey Murphy III represents everything they covet in a modern NBA player. He has shot 38.3% from three-point range for his career, provides solid defensive versatility at 6’8″, and has shown flashes of creating his own shot. In today’s pace-and-space league, that’s gold. The Warriors have made it clear they won’t part with their other sharpshooters—Moses Moody and Buddy Hield—in any sign-and-trade scenarios.
Spurs Enter the Picture for Trey Murphy III
San Antonio’s interest adds another layer to this developing story. The Spurs represent a different kind of suitor—one with young assets and future draft capital that could theoretically move the needle for New Orleans. Trey Murphy III would slide seamlessly into San Antonio’s rebuild timeline.
Playing alongside guards like De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle, Murphy would provide the reliable outside shooting this young core desperately needs. Jeremy Sochan’s versatility would complement Murphy’s skill set perfectly, creating a potentially dynamic frontcourt pairing.
But here’s where things get complicated for San Antonio: if they’re serious about landing Murphy, they’d likely need to part with significant assets. That means either trading away some of their promising young talent or mortgaging future draft picks. These are moves that could derail their carefully constructed rebuild.
The Reality Check
This is one of those NBA stories where logic trumps desire. Both the Warriors and Spurs can want Trey Murphy III all they want, but New Orleans holds all the leverage in these discussions. Murphy isn’t going anywhere. For Warriors fans dreaming of another sharpshooter to complement Stephen Curry, this represents another reminder that championship windows require difficult decisions.
Their reluctance to include Moody or Hield in any Kuminga deal shows they understand the value of shooting in today’s NBA. But it also limits their trade flexibility when targeting premium players like Trey Murphy III. The Spurs, meanwhile, face their own calculations. Sacrificing future assets for a win-now move might not align with their patient rebuild approach, especially when they’re still developing their young core.
