The Los Angeles Lakers have had a strong start to the 2025-26 NBA season, as Luka Dončić and company have proven to be a heavyweight in the Western Conference and potentially a threat to the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Although the Lakers are a good team at the moment, JJ Redick’s squad is far from perfect and has areas that need to be addressed ahead of the NBA trade deadline if they want to make a run at winning a title this season. One team that might be looking to blow up its roster and start from scratch in the coming months is the New Orleans Pelicans, who currently have one of the worst records in the league at 4-22.
Lakers Targeting Trey Murphy?
One player the Pelicans might be looking to hold onto if they do blow it up is Trey Murphy. However, he’d also be a player who could generate a lot of trade interest and potentially bring back a signficant trade haul ahead of Feb. 5.
Although the Lakers will likely prioritize upgrading the roster from a defensive perspective, which could lead them to pursue Herb Jones from New Orleans, Murphy, who had signed a four-year, $112 million extension in 2024, would be an intriguing trade target for Los Angeles, as he’s also a formidable defender as well as a star offensively.
Kendrick E. Johnson of PFSN writes: “The reason Murphy should be the top target for the Lakers in any trade talk is that he’s one of the best shooting wings in the NBA and a versatile 6-8 athletic defender who can help a Lakers defense that’s long in the tooth. A career 38% three-point shooter, Murphy’s athletic ability to defend guards at a high level gives the Lakers a better chance to compete against the Thunder and Rockets, who have major advantages on the perimeter over the Lakers’ current roster.”
Murphy is a rising star and seems to get better and better with every passing season, even though the Pelicans are headed in the wrong direction. He’s one of the few players on the roster with immense value and a high upside, which makes him an intriguing player to build around and also a candidate that can be traded to bring in assets to start a rebuild in New Orleans.
Even though the Pelicans have only won four games thus far, Murphy is having a career year, averaging 21.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Outside of his shooting percentage from deep, all those averages are career highs, which is impressive considering the situation in New Orleans.
One thing that could hold the Lakers back is the cost of acquiring Murphy in a trade, especially if other teams with better trade assets come calling ahead of the NBA trade deadline. It would be safe to assume that the Pelicans would ask for Austin Reaves in return, which might be a dealbreaker for Los Angeles.
