Bill Simmons Names Celtics Potential Landing Spot For Underrated Pelicans Star originally appeared on NESN.
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With the NBA Finals kicking off this week, the start of the NBA offseason is only a few weeks away.
One player who could get traded this summer, and potentially as soon as this month, is New Orleans Pelicans star Trey Murphy III.
During a recent episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Simmons named the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder as two potential landing spots for Murphy if he does get dealt.
“We assume [Trey Murphy] is probably going to get traded over the next 3 weeks. I think Boston is a possibility. We thought whoever lost this matchup was a possibility. There’s a couple other teams. But, you have 2 to 3 weeks to trade for someone like that.”
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— The Trade Deadline (@_TradeDeadline) June 1, 2026
“We assume [Trey Murphy III] is probably going to get traded over the next three weeks,” Simmons told cohost Zach Lowe. “I think Boston is a possibility. We thought whoever lost this [Western Conference Finals] was a possibility. There’s a couple other teams. But, you have two to three weeks to trade for someone like that.”
Murphy, who turns 26 later this month, would be a huge get for the Celtics. He’s averaged 21.4 points over the last two seasons, shoots well, plays good defense and has steadily improved throughout his career. His all-around numbers are similar to Jaylen Brown’s a few years ago.
Given that Murphy’s a small forward, acquiring him would potentially free up Boston to trade either Brown or Jayson Tatum and then try to acquire another superstar, if desired. It could also push Tatum to power forward, or he could operate off the bench.
It’s unclear what the Celtics would have to give up in a package for Murphy, but it may include either Tatum or Brown, in which case Boston would also get draft picks or additional players in return. Either way, Murphy is an intriguing possibility for the Celtics this offseason.
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