It is no secret the Los Angeles Lakers are looking for some starpower on the wing. After all, they lost LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard in quick succession. Four players who accounted for the overwhelming majority of the Lakers’ wing production last season.
To compensate, the Lakers added multiple depth pieces but have yet to find a player capable of logging consistent starting-level minutes, much less a star.
The name most prominently featured in Lakers discussions is Jonathan Kuminga, but the team’s pursuit of the star free agent has hit a standstill. So what if the Lakers looked back to the trade market to make an unexpected splash?
The Trade Idea That (Might) Bring Trey Murphy to the Lakers
GettyDENVER, COLORADO – FEBRUARY 03: Trey Murphy III #25 of the New Orleans Pelicans plays the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter at Ball Arena on February 03, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Yes, it’s the same name we’ve been hearing all offseason. He’s still stuck in New Orleans, and the Pelicans (for some unknown reason) seem content with running back a roster that won a whopping 26 games last season. Of course, we are talking about Trey Murphy.
In a hypothetical trade scenario, the Lakers pick up the phone and dial up the Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets to discuss a deal revolving around Murphy, the 26-year-old former first round pick. Here’s a potential framework that sends Murphy to L.A.
Lakers receive: Trey Murphy and Moritz Wagner
Pelicans receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Theiro, Jake LaRavia, a 2027 first round pick, a 2028 second round pick (both via BKN) and a Lakers second pick in 2031 and 2032
Nets receive: Cameron Carr, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James
It is important to reiterate that this trade is purely hypothetical and intended for some fun debate, not to stir emotions.
So, why might all three teams agree to do this trade?
What’s in it for All Three Teams
For the Lakers, you pin a lot of your hopes in Murphy. Murphy is a nice player with All-Star caliber talent, but giving up Carr and Theiro, two youngsters with future star written all over them, may be a bit much. But surrounding Luka Doncic with Austin Reaves and Murphy might be enough to push the Lakers to the conference finals.
Meanwhile, New Orleans gets substantial draft capital for, again, a player who hasn’t made even one All-Star team. Not to mention landing a potential future All-Star in Thiero and a still-developing talent in LaRavia. For a team consistently hanging near the bottom of the standings, this is a sizable return.
Brooklyn, though, might have the most eye-catching return of all three teams. For the price of two draft picks, only one of them a first rounder, the Nets would get their hands on three players 25 and younger. For a team clearly building for the future, the Nets would walk away happy.
Now, would Murphy prove to be a worthy investment for the Lakers? Murphy averaged a career-high 21.5 points per game last season and shot roughly 38 percent from 3-point range. At 26, Murphy would instantly become a pivotal piece who fits comfortably within Doncic’s timeline.
Proposed Lakers Trade Lands Trey Murphy in Major 3-Team Deal for 5 Stars