The Brooklyn Nets came away from the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday with Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. and Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson in the fold. Brooklyn had been linked to Brown throughout the pre-draft process, but taking Jefferson was an interesting move for a team that wants as many playmakers as possible. However, it seems that the Nets may have had other plans.
“There is definitely a bunch of Trey Murphy noise. It seems pretty clear that he has also signaled a desire to play elsewhere. The market is going to be pretty robust,” Sam Amick of the Athletic said of New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III during his appearance on KNBR 680’s Murph & Markus on Tuesday (h/t to Bleacher Report’s Paul Kasabian). Amick was explaining that Murphy wants out of New Orleans and that multiple teams could express interest in him.
“[The] Brooklyn [Nets] and the [Los Angeles] Clippers were mentioned as teams that were out front in that race, but I think the list is very long,” Amick continued. “I think that Detroit comes to mind. [With] Boston, actually, Trey is seen as a potential plan B for them if they miss out on Giannis, which they obviously did. So, Trey is going to have a lot of suitors.”
Amick mentioned during his appearance on the Golden State Warriors-centric radio station that he thought Murphy could have been dealt on draft night given that potential teams would likely want to capitalize on the trade as soon as possible. However, with the first round of the draft going by without Murphy being traded, it’s possible that he’s staying put unless the Nets are willing to make another surprising move this offseason.
Murphy, 26, is coming off arguably the best season of his career as he averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47.0% from the field and 37.9% from behind the three-point line. Since Murphy has been rumored as a trade candidate, reports have suggested that the Pelicans are looking for multiple first-round picks in exchange for him so time will tell if the Nets are interested in him enough to meet that price.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Report: Nets mentioned as suitors for Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire | USA TODAY Network
