Trey Murphy III
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Trey Murphy III is one of the few bright spots for the New Orleans Pelicans this season.
Plenty of shooters were snubbed from the NBA 3-Point Contest, including Trey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans. Murphy is among the best from beyond the arc this season, averaging 3.3 makes from 3-point range per game and shooting 38.0 percent.
Speaking to reporters after Monday’s win over the Sacramento Kings, Murphy had a message to the NBA for his omission from the 3-Point Contest. The snub doesn’t bother him, but he was not quite sure why he wasn’t invited to participate.
“I got the same approach every day: is get better and play my game,” Murphy said. “At some point, it’ll be recognized that I’m one of the better shooters in the league. Until then, it is what it is. Gonna keep working on my game, gonna keep shooting the ball like I have been. Me not being in the 3-point contest isn’t gonna ruin my day, but it is something that I definitely saw and wasn’t the biggest fan of.”
Murphy is having a very good season for the Pelicans, averaging 22.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He was linked to several teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, but the Pelicans kept him past the trade deadline.
Why Did Murphy Get Snubbed?
It’s unclear why the NBA didn’t invite Trey Murphy III to participate in the 3-Point Contest. Murphy is tied with Grayson Allen and Sam Merrill for eighth in the league for most 3-point shots made per game this season.
The good news for Murphy is that Allen and Merrill were also snubbed from the popular All-Star Weekend event. It could also be due to his 3-point percentage, which is outside the Top 50, as per ESPN.
While 38.0% is high and very acceptable, the league leader in that category is Luke Kennard of the Los Angeles Lakers at 49.4 percent. However, Kennard wasn’t invited to participate as well.
The eight players vying to become the 3-Point Contest winner this year are Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, Norman Powell, Bobby Portis and Kon Knueppel.
Pelicans’ Asking Price for Murphy Revealed
The Golden State Warriors were among the teams most linked to Trey Murphy III this season before the trade deadline. The Warriors pulled off a deal, but it was Kristaps Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported that the Warriors were offering Jonathan Kuminga, an unprotected first-round pick in 2026, and a lightly protected first-round pick in 2028.
However, the Pelicans wanted at least three unprotected first-round picks for Murphy, whom they viewed as a future All-Star. Despite listening to offers for the young wing, they seemingly made sure that they put a high price tag on him.
The Warriors pivoted to other options, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they ultimately pulled the trigger on the Porzingis trade. They parted ways with Kuminga and Buddy Hield to acquire the one-time NBA champion.
Porzingis has yet to get cleared to make his return, but the hope in Golden State is that he’ll be available after the All-Star break.