The Golden State Warriors have been mentioned prominently on the trade market, and it's not hard to see why considering how Jonathan Kuminga seems to be the likeliest player to change teams prior to the trade deadline. Kuminga's time on the Warriors has long been up, with head coach Steve Kerr removing him from the rotation entirely, and bringing in an impact player for the seventh overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft has long been a priority for the Dubs.
To that end, the Warriors have been rumored to have taken a close look at burgeoning New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy. Murphy has expanded his game quite considerably and he's now become one of the best off-ball scorers in the association, making him a much-better fit on the Warriors roster than Kuminga ever was.
The Pelicans, however, have stated that they intend to keep their core together, which means that Murphy is expected to stay in the Big Easy past the trade deadline. However, the Warriors could try and change their mind with an offer that meets their asking price.
ESPN put together a hypothetical three-team trade that brings Murphy to the Bay and Kuminga to the Big Easy, with the Utah Jazz making a cameo appearance to facilitate a salary dump. Does that trade make sense for every team involved? Here are ClutchPoints' grades for that hypothetical deal.
ESPN's hypothetical Warriors-Pelicans-Jazz trade involving Jonathan Kuminga, Trey Murphy
New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (25) dribbles up court against the Brooklyn Nets during the first quarter at Barclays Center.
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Warriors acquire: Trey Murphy, Jordan Hawkins
Pelicans acquire: Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, 2026 first-round pick (via Warriors), 2028 first-round pick (via Warriors, top-10 protected), 2030 first-round pick (via Warriors, if No. 5 to 20)
Jazz acquire: Kevon Looney, 2031 second-round pick (via TOR), 2032 second-round pick (via NOP), cash considerations
Warriors mortgage future, bet on Trey Murphy's blossoming star power
New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (25) dunks against Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) during the first half at Smoothie King Center.
Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Murphy is on a four-year deal with the Pelicans, and he's set to make $112 million during that time frame. In today's NBA, that is quite the bargain for a player of his caliber. He's currently averaging 21.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per contest on 50/39/90 shooting splits, and the way he gets those buckets makes him a solid fit on any team in need of a non-ball dominant yet very efficient scorer.
This is why it's not too big of a surprise to hear that the Pelicans aren't very inclined to trade someone like Murphy away. He's only 25 years of age as well, so it's not like he doesn't belong on New Orleans' contending timeline that's trending towards the younger side. When the likes of Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears hit their prime, Murphy should still be a very productive player, and on such an affordable deal as well.
This is why ESPN has the Warriors parting ways with three first-round picks just to secure Murphy's services. The Pelicans, despite being one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, have so much leverage in trade talks that it would take a king's ransom for them to part ways with one of their core talents.
As for the Dubs, they might be better off seeking an alternative option on the trade market than to go all-in for Murphy. Golden State's front office has also shown no inclination over the years that they would be aggressive; if they did, then they would have done so a long time ago. Alas, they've been trying to at least insure the team in the post-Stephen Curry world, so it doesn't quite make as much sense for them to part ways with that many future firsts.
That 2030 first-round pick is something that they would want to keep; as things stand, they have a solid chance of keeping that pick anyway (they keep it if it falls within 1-20). If the season were to end today, they would have the 16th overall pick of the draft. It's hard to imagine them being that much better in four years, as Murphy isn't the kind of player who can carry teams since he's too reliant on his teammates for his production.
Jordan Hawkins could be a good reclamation project for the Warriors, but they're not in a position to be giving him minutes anyway as they are in full urgency mode to try and compete for a title while Curry's still very productive.
Murphy is a good player, but at this price point, it's hard to see the Warriors deciding to push through with this deal. They might be better off trying to acquire Michael Porter Jr., someone who's making nearly $40 million and whose contract is set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 campaign. Porter would cost the Dubs fewer assets, and one could argue that he's playing better than Murphy is anyway.
Grade: C
Pelicans have to be very high on Kuminga to make this trade
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Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) walks off the court after being removed from the game during the fourth quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
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Kuminga is such a polarizing player; some believe that he's an empty calories player who only gets his numbers on undertalented teams. However, some still think that he possesses so much untapped potential that could be brought out in the right situation.
But do the Pelicans think of Kuminga that highly to begin with that they would want to part ways with Murphy for someone with as many question marks as the Warriors forward?
Acquiring three first-round picks for Murphy is quite the get for the Pelicans. But those picks, as long as Curry is healthy and productive, aren't likely to be any higher than 14 or 15 at worst. The 2030 first-round pick could be a huge get, but it's protected anyway from picks one through five, capping the upside on such a return.
Meanwhile, Kuminga is a slasher who needs the ball in his hands. He can shoot from midrange and hit occasional three-pointers, but he's at his best when he's commandeering possession and maneuvering towards the basket. That, however, is Zion Williamson's job. The Pelicans also already have Queen and Fears to command possession, while Dejounte Murray is another mouth to feed when he returns.
If the Pelicans are looking to engineer a quick turnaround next season, just keeping Murphy would suffice. Kuminga does not fit at all on this roster, and he's not going to get an opportunity to be the star he believes he could be if he lands in New Orleans.
Moody is a solid piece to have for the Pelicans, but at this point, New Orleans is better off keeping Murphy. A trade package that involves multiple first-round picks should always be available for them as far as Murphy goes, but acquiring a player who's a much better fit on the team should be a priority if they were to trade the 25-year-old 3-and-D wing away.
The Pelicans seem very confident in their core, and while competing in the West will be very difficult moving forward, keeping Murphy, at least until the offseason, seems to be the best course of action.
Grade: C+
Jazz benefit yet again from other teams making trades
New Orleans Pelicans forward Kevon Looney (55) warms up before the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
If there's a big winner in this entire thing, it's the Jazz. They get two second-round picks as well as cash considerations just to absorb Kevon Looney's contract that runs until the 2026-27 campaign on their books.
Utah is not going anywhere anytime soon, especially when factoring in the fact that they just lost by 55 points to the Charlotte Hornets. Using their cap space to add even more draft assets still remains very astute. The Jazz have plenty of avenues to create cap space this offseason as well, and Looney should not be too big of an obligation to take on anyway considering that Utah can simply decline his team option for next season.
Grade: A