CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs boasted the NBA’s No. 1 offense this past regular-season, yet their playoff run fell short of expectations. Could Trey Murphy III be the missing ingredient that transforms the Cavs from contenders into champions?
In a discussion on the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Chris Fedor and Jimmy Watkins made compelling cases for why the 24-year-old New Orleans Pelicans wing could be the perfect acquisition for Cleveland’s evolving roster.
“Shooting, spacing, size, length, athleticism, a relationship with Donovan Mitchell. I just think he’s the kind of style of player that when you watch playoff basketball, whether it’s the series that just wrapped up between Indiana and New York or the previous one between OKC and Minnesota, you can just envision him thriving in that kind of environment,” Fedor explained.
What makes Murphy particularly intriguing is his untapped potential. The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter has shown flashes of brilliance in New Orleans but has been hampered by an organizational structure that lacks direction and cohesion.
“This is a player friendly system because before they got to the playoffs, it was a democratic approach,” Fedor said of the Cavs organization. “Before they got to the playoffs, it was not very predictable. And that just allows guys to blossom, that allows guys to maximize ability.”
The contrast between the two franchises couldn’t be starker.
While Cleveland has established a clear identity under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, New Orleans has struggled to develop any coherent vision for its talented roster.
“In New Orleans, I don’t know what they’ve been doing. I don’t think anybody knows what they’ve been doing, what they’ve been trying to do offensively, what they’ve been trying to do with building their franchise,” Fedor stated bluntly.
Murphy’s statistical profile backs up the enthusiasm.
Watkins highlighted his exceptional shooting range: “One of the rangiest shooters in the league too. There’s an extra modicum of space that Trey Murphy can provide a team that even your run of the mill good shooter doesn’t necessarily provide. Because Trey Murphy not only does can he make from 30, 35 feet, he will take from 30, 35 feet.”
Beyond just shooting, Murphy offers defensive versatility that the Cavs could use.
When discussing who the Cavs would give up for Murphy, Fedor was clear: “I think if we’re having a Trey Murphy conversation, it’s got to be Darius. It has to.”
That move would create a potential starting lineup featuring Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Trey Murphy, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen for the Cavs.
As Fedor explained, this configuration would eliminate a critical playoff weakness: “You’ve got size, you’ve got length, you’ve got athleticism, and you don’t have a huntable player.”
For a Cavaliers team on the precipice of championship contention, Murphy represents not just an upgrade in talent, but a perfect systemic fit. The question remains whether Cleveland’s front office will make the bold move necessary to acquire him.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
_Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Wine and Gold Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions._