The Golden State Warriors reportedly were interested in forward Trey Murphy, reaching out to the New Orleans Pelicans and exploring the terms needed to get a deal done.
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As a small forward, Murphy provides floor spacing and perimeter defense. He is a true 3-and-D wing that has started developing playmaking skills and on-ball creation.
At the age of 25, he still possesses a high ceiling and untapped potential, while being ready to contribute immediately.
Last season, Murphy averaged 21.2 points, 3.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds in 53 games. His season was cut short due to a torn labrum and a partially torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder back in March.
According to reporting from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Warriors explored a potential move for Murphy.
"Sources say that the Warriors have a strong affinity for Murphy and have made outreach to New Orleans as recently as this summer, Yet sources say that the Pelicans, to be clear, have batted away calls for the 25-year-old, valuing him highly," Fischer wrote in the newsletter.
"The two-way forward will be playing on a contract in 2025-26 - at precisely $25 million - as desirable as his talent. Another team known to have registered trade interest in Murphy, sources say, is San Antonio."
The forward shot 45.4 percent from the field last season and 36.1 percent from deep on 8.3 attempts per game.
He fits the Warriors system perfectly, providing the shooting that the team is known for while also being able to switch on defense.
On a team with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, Murphy would get some great looks and play on the best team in his career so far.
Curry would get the best shooter that he has partnered with since Klay Thompson was on the roster.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy was committed to building around the team's core this summer.
"I think the biggest thing for us is knowing the guys that are going to be here, how do we complement around them? How do we complement around Steph and Jimmy and Draymond and BP and Moses (Moody), go down the list?" Dunleavy told Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard back in June.
"What do we need to add to that? I think there's just some specific skill sets that we could use on both sides of the ball while also understanding what type of players work for us, what type of players can play for Steve (Kerr) within this system and with Steph and Dray and what they've done here for many years. It's a tricky one. You've got a little bit of a needle thread with it. But there's players out there we can get that can make us better."
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