Everybody already assumes that any star the Minnesota Timberwolves trade for will carry a pretty significant level of risk.
But what if I were to tell you that there was one guy who isn't risky at all to trade for, and he might cost less than you think, thanks to his organization's delusions about how competitive they are?
The New Orleans Pelicans are a conundrum; they have a lot of talented players on their team that are highly coveted by opposing teams, but they're a bad team. The problem is, they think that they're good and refuse to rebuild.
Trey Murphy III is their best asset outside of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, and they could get a haul of draft picks and young players in exchange for him to jumpstart a rebuild. But it was just reported by Jake Fischer that the Pelicans would want "win-now" players in a possible Murphy deal, as they look to take that next step towards postseason contention.
The Pelicans don't have a true center on their roster. Derik Queen is a power forward, and Yves Missi is still a wildcard. Rudy Gobert is one of the best floor raisers in the NBA, and he would undoubtedly help the Pelicans in the short-term, since apparently that's what they're looking for.
Trey Murphy lll is the perfect addition to the Wolves' young core
When picturing guys that compliment Anthony Edwards the best, Murphy fits this mold to a tee. He is an absolute sniper on the perimeter, more than capable of hitting 3s from feet beyond the 3-point line.
He is an extremely athletic above-the-rim finisher as well, with his height and athleticism. These traits also help him be a good defender on the perimeter as well, as he can comfortably switch one through four. If he weren't on one of the worst teams in the league, he would have gotten some serious All-Star consideration this year, and deservedly so.
The 25-year-old had his best year as a pro yet. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 47/37.9/88.6 splits. He would be a perfect complementary second option on the Wolves, and he fits the Anthony Edwards timeline, too.
The Timberwolves would need to find a center solution if it is indeed Rudy Gobert in the trade
In any Murphy deal, Gobert makes a ton more sense for the Pelicans than Julius Randle, given positional needs. But trading Gobert would make for a thin center room, with Joan Beringer or Naz Reid being the only possible in-house starters. Reid is likely too small to be a center anymore, and Beringer might need more seasoning.
The Wolves would then likely look to trade Julius Randle for an available center on the market. Some names that make sense would be Nic Claxton, Myles Turner, Onyeka Okongwu, or Daniel Gafford.
It's still unclear if the Pelicans are 100 percent keen on moving Murphy, but you can never really predict what that organization is thinking. If Murphy is indeed available, Tim Connelly needs to be on the line immediately because he checks every box.
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