Pelicans trade rumor should be of serious interest to Lakers, Warriors originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Moving forward, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors should pay close attention to trade rumors involving assets who would be solid additions to their respective rosters.
Of course, trades can’t be completed until the offseason officially gets underway, but nothing is preventing them from crafting a lengthy list of summer targets. A recent New Orleans Pelicans trade rumor should undoubtedly pique the interest of Los Angeles and Golden State in early June.
“We assume he’s (Trey Murphy) probably going to get traded over the next three weeks,” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons stated. “I think Boston (Celtics) is a possibility. We thought whoever lost this matchup (between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder) is a possibility. You have two to three weeks to trade for someone like that.”
Although Simmons didn’t name the Lakers and Warriors as potential landing spots for Murphy, it’s widely believed that both organizations are in the mix for the 25-year-old. With Simmons’ report indicating that there’s a high probability the Pelicans will soon make him available in trade talks, Los Angeles and Golden State should be licking their chops as the offseason looms closer.
Murphy is exactly the type of player the Lakers are seeking this summer, as he’s a high-level perimeter shooter who gets after it on the defensive end. The Warriors will likely be more enamored with the Virginia product’s awe-inspiring long-range production, given their playstyle. That said, it’s reasonable to assume they wouldn’t overlook his valuable defensive contributions.
Murphy, who 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 three this year, should soon garner heavy interest from the two Western Conference franchises.
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