The Boston Celtics did not trade Jaylen Brown merely to get older.
Paul George was part of the return, but the real currency Boston acquired from Philadelphia was flexibility — both financial and in the form of future draft capital. If Brad Stevens eventually decides to cash some of that capital in for another long-term running mate for Jayson Tatum, Trey Murphy III should be near the top of the list.
Boston was already linked to Murphy earlier this summer as a potential alternative if its pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo fell short. That interest made sense then. It makes even more sense now that Brown is in Philadelphia and the Celtics have a clearer need for a second star-caliber wing beside Tatum.
Here is one aggressive framework that could get New Orleans’ attention.
Celtics-Pelicans Trade Proposal
Celtics receive: Trey Murphy III
Pelicans receive: Payton Pritchard
Sam Hauser
Chris Cenac Jr.
Boston’s 2030 first-round pick
Philadelphia’s unprotected 2031 first-round pick
There is no indication the teams have discussed this exact package. It is a proposal built around what New Orleans has reportedly sought for Murphy and what Boston can realistically afford to move.
The Pelicans’ asking price has been steep. They began around four first-round picks before lowering the price to at least three, Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto previously reported, and there has been skepticism around the league over whether New Orleans truly intends to move him at all.
Boston’s offer would effectively give the Pelicans three first-round-caliber assets: Cenac, the No. 27 pick in June, plus two actual firsts.
Why Trey Murphy Fits Next to Jayson Tatum
Murphy is not Brown, and Boston should not ask him to be.
That is part of the appeal.
At 26, the 6-foot-8 wing is entering his prime and coming off a season in which he averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 37.9% from 3-point range.
Next to Tatum, Murphy would not need to dominate possessions. He can sprint into transition, punish tilted defenses as a catch-and-shoot threat, attack closeouts and defend either forward spot.
For a Celtics team that suddenly lacks a clear second offensive star, that kind of low-maintenance production would carry real value. Boston’s current core still includes Tatum, Derrick White and George, but George is 36 and cannot reasonably be viewed as the long-term answer beside Tatum.
Murphy could be.
Celtics Can Make the Money Work
Boston’s cap position makes the structure important.
The Celtics are roughly $10.3 million below the first apron and hard-capped there. Their payroll sits at about $198.7 million.
Pritchard makes $7.8 million, Hauser $10.8 million and Cenac about $3 million. Together, that is roughly $21.6 million going out.
Murphy earns $27 million.
Under the NBA’s matching rules, Boston can take that salary back while remaining beneath its hard cap. The deal would raise the Celtics’ payroll by a little more than $5 million, leaving them with a few million dollars of breathing room.
That matters because the entire rationale behind moving Brown was to escape the roster-building restrictions created by multiple massive contracts. Stevens said after the deal that future flexibility was central to Boston’s thinking.
Murphy offers star-level upside without another $50 million salary.
Jaylen Brown Trade Gives Celtics Ammunition
The Brown deal also replenished Boston’s draft chest.
The Celtics received a complicated 2028 first-round asset tied to Philadelphia and the Clippers, an unprotected 2031 Philadelphia first and two second-round picks. The 2031 first could become particularly valuable because Philadelphia’s current contender is built around an aging core.
Boston also controls future firsts of its own, giving Stevens enough ammunition to chase a premium player without stripping the cupboard completely bare.
The price for Murphy would still hurt.
Pritchard is one of the NBA’s better value guards. Hauser is a proven shooter. Cenac represents a young frontcourt prospect. And a 2031 unprotected Philadelphia first is exactly the kind of distant asset teams hesitate to surrender.
But the Celtics did not trade Brown to collect draft picks indefinitely.
At some point, those picks have to become players who can help Tatum win.
Murphy is young enough to grow with him and good enough to matter immediately. That is exactly the kind of bet Boston should be willing to make.
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