Trey Murphy III's trade market got a little more real.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the Pelicans have recently lowered their asking price for Murphy from the equivalent of four first-round picks to three. That does not make him cheap. It moves the conversation from a price tag teams could dismiss to one they can debate.
The current group in the mix, according to HoopsHype, includes the Celtics, Pistons, Warriors, Clippers and Hawks to varying degrees. Several earlier teams have faded. Indiana added Ivica Zubac, Portland acquired Ja Morant, San Antonio reached the Finals and agreed to deals with Harrison Barnes and Tobias Harris, and the Lakers already made moves.
Boston has a clear path into the conversation because the Jaylen Brown trade brought back Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-rounders. That capital matters if New Orleans wants picks in any Murphy deal.
Detroit is just as interesting. The Pistons have consistently circled Murphy, per the report, but viewed the old price as too high. With Tobias Harris gone in free agency, the question is whether a three-first framework changes their appetite.
Murphy is not a throw-in target. He is 26, long, useful without the ball and coming off a season that made his value cleaner than the Pelicans' direction. That is why the price is still steep even after the reported drop.
For New Orleans, keeping Murphy remains the easy basketball case. Moving him only makes sense if the return resets the roster around draft capital or a different timeline.
For the teams calling, the shift is enough to keep the line open. Three firsts is still expensive. It is no longer the kind of number that ends the call immediately.
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