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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 13: Trey Murphy III #25 of the New Orleans Pelicans dunks over Spencer Jones #21 of the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter of an NBA game at Smoothie King Center on January 13, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
The New Orleans Pelicans may be desperate enough to trade their best overall asset right now for a draft pick they foolishly lost in the past. Last offseason featured a shocking trade of the Pelicans sacrificing this season’s first round pick and last season’s first round draft pick to the Atlanta Hawks to move up and select Derik Queen. While the talent of Queen is impressive, New Orleans had a terrible season and lost the eighth overall pick to the Hawks.
Insider podcast “Locked on Pelicans” reported that the Pelicans are considering a shocking trade to move Trey Murphy to Atlanta to get their pick back:
“The Pelicans are definitely in discussions with multiple teams about trying to acquire a first-round pick. The most recent thing I heard was yesterday. The Pelicans have had talks with the Atlanta Hawks about getting the 8th overall pick in this draft. Some version of this trade would be Trey Murphy for the 8th overall pick. It would likely be Trey Murphy and maybe Jonathan Kuminga or something else here.”
The shocking trade would see the Pelicans trading away this pick and getting it back within the past year. Atlanta is looking to upgrade their roster for a better chance at success in the Eastern Conference Playoffs and that pick has become more expendable.
Why This Is Considered Embarrassing For Pelicans
The trade from last year would essentially turn into New Orleans trading away both Murphy and Asa Newell for Queen if the Pelicans traded their star forward for the pick. A failed season for the Pelicans saw Murphy being the brightest spot with his consistency creating a lot of offseason interest.
Teams around the league want Murphy this summer to make him the most valuable commodity for New Orleans at the moment. The Pelicans have a chance to get a younger prospect or multiple draft picks to retool for the future.
Other top players like Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, and Herbert Jones have varying flaws to limit their trade value. The Pelicans are risking looking foolish by sacrificing Murphy to erase last summer’s mistake with a potentially bigger one here if that pick isn’t a star.
Why The Move Is Perfect For Hawks
Atlanta made some huge changes this season by trading away Trae Young and building a new core around rising star Jalen Johnson. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and the recently re-signed CJ McCollum both well into the new offense with more versatility.
The Hawks have enough assets and spending cash to make a run at a forward upgrade ahead of next season. Murphy would likely slide into the starting lineup to move either McCollum or Dyson Daniels down to the bench squad for greater depth.
Atlanta most importantly gets to improve the roster without sacrificing any of their top picks. The past season of success and growing hope for more improvement will see the Hawks valuing winning next year over looking at an exciting rookie. Murphy answers the problem of finding a younger wing player who can score and defense in games against top East teams.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford