Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens threw Boston’s hat within the ring amid this offseason’s Giannis Antetokounmpo commerce sweepstakes. However Stevens might already be cooking up a backup plan in case his pursuit of the Greek Freak topples over.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported Friday morning that Boston might shift its curiosity from Antetokounmpo to Pelicans ahead Trey Murphy III following the 26-year-old’s breakout season with New Orleans.
Murphy averaged 21.5 factors via 66 video games logged with the Pelicans final season, whereas setting career-highs with 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and a 47 % capturing clip from the sphere. Nonetheless, whereas Murphy stands out as an intriguing match for the Celtics, the curiosity he’s producing from Stevens and firm stays predicated solely on how Giannis’ market performs out.
For the previous week, Boston has led the race alongside the Warmth as the first frontrunners, in keeping with the league’s rumor mill, whereas the Bucks desperately search a approach to sever ties with Antetokounmpo as soon as and for all. To this point, it’s been loads of rumour greater than the rest, with the expectation that Giannis turns into the primary main domino to fall this offseason.
Stevens, throughout his end-of-the-season press convention lower than every week after Boston’s first-round playoff elimination, insinuated modifications had been on the horizon. He highlighted rim safety, prioritized straightforward seems on the rim, and acknowledged the elevated issue of profitable a championship with groups quickly bettering and fewer organizations tanking with intention, in contrast to this previous yr.
Murphy, as a goal, checks loads of bins for the Celtics and their scheme to stay contenders within the Jap Convention.
For starters, touchdown Murphy — in contrast to Giannis — might assist Boston preserve the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown duo intact. Murphy is underneath a four-year, $112 million contract signed with New Orleans, with three years left. He’s incomes roughly $28 million in annual wage, posing a a lot simpler avenue for Stevens to work with, in comparison with Antetokounmpo’s pending pressured exit from Milwaukee, giving the Bucks zero leverage.
Murphy shot a career-best 37.9 % from three final season and is among the many league’s elite rising two-way wings. At 6-foot-8, Murphy has proven a capability to attain off-ball, defend with versatility, and assault the rim with explosive athleticism. Plus, in contrast to Giannis, Stevens might strike a easy, straightforward one-for-one swap with New Orleans with out having to seek for a 3rd group to facilitate a Murphy-to-Boston commerce.
The Celtics have a commerce exception massive sufficient ($27.7 million) to make Murphy’s contract work, plus a price ticket that isn’t almost as excessive as Giannis’ presumed asking worth both.
Boston additionally has a handful of future first-round picks — together with the twenty seventh total choice in subsequent Tuesday’s 2026 NBA Draft — to work with in assembling a commerce package deal for Murphy if Stevens and the entrance workplace pursue that plan of action.
