The New Orleans Pelicans were able to blow up their current roster after yet another disappointing season.
The Pelicans finished the 2024-25 NBA season as the 14th seed in the Western Conference with a 21-61 record. There have now been multiple reports that the Pelican is open to trading almost everyone on the roster rather than the name Zion Williamson.
And the Pelican plan is something the San Antonio Spurs can use to dive for talented stars like Tray Murphy.
The Spurs already have talented cores from Victor Wenbagnama, Dearon Fox and Steffon Castle. On top of that, the franchise scored a second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Former NBA player Lou Williams thought the Spurs were thinking of trading a second pick for a superstar like Kevin Durant and entering the winning mode.
NBA analyst Bill Simmons recently discussed how the Pelican struggle could be a blessing for the Spurs’ disguise.
“New Orleans, you’re not in a man’s land. Do you own Zion?
“Can I try trading a version of Mikal Bridges with Trey Murphy and get lots of stuff? I don’t know,” Simmons said on his podcast.
What can the Pelican do with Trey Murphy? Simmons explained:
He added: “If I were Spurs Consigliere, I would be like this: “We’re getting a Durant? He’s 37. He gives up for Durant, throws a few more picks and tries to get someone who actually hits in his mid-20s and is actually trying to get our timeline.
Simmons also explained how throwing several more draft picks for the 24-year-old forward makes sense as it matches the Spurs timeline.
Additionally, Simmons thinks this is the best time to trade for Nora’s star, as he is less valuable in the market than it should be.
“And his worth is because he didn’t settle everything last year because he knew if he was getting an extension,” Simmons said.
“After that, he was injured in the season quickly and didn’t look like himself until the last part of the year. So you and I know he’s good, but you buy a bit weird,” he finished.
Despite struggling with injuries and other things, Murphy averaged 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for the Pelicans in 53 appearances.
Adding a young, talented caliber player alongside Wenby is highly likely to be a missing piece of the Spurs puzzle, as they are likely to compete in the NBA Championship next season.