New Orleans Pelicans Wings Deemed ‘Nearly Untouchable’ by NBA Writer

Two New Orleans Pelicans players are extremely valuable assets but not ones the team should trade.

Apr 24, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) and forward Herbert Jones (5) at warms up before game four of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center against the Phoenix Suns. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans are a team that many people are keeping a close eye on heading into the 2024-25 NBA regular season.

They should be improved on the court with their blockbuster addition fo Dejounte Murray in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks. The former All-Star fits into Willie Green’s scheme perfectly on both ends of the court.

Issues that plagued the team last season, such as crunch-time offensive efficiency, should dissipate with Murray in the fold. His defensive prowess should return to the levels he showcased previously in his career with an improved supporting cast after some tough seasons in Atlanta.

While the team will be better, there are still some moves that need to be made.

The Pelicans have a logjam on the wing that will present Green with a headache all season long. Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy are all worthy of starting spots; don’t forget about veteran CJ McCollum as well.

Making another trade involving at least one of those players would alleviate a lot of the issues Green will face. Going small as a starting lineup with Zion Williamson at the center spot isn’t a feasible long-term solution. It can be a chess piece deployed situationally, but cannot be a staple.

Out of the four, Murphy and Jones hold the most value around the league.

Already inked to a team-friendly long-term contract, Jones, a second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, would have teams lining up to acquire him. Already an elite defender with an improving offensive game, he fits on every roster in the NBA.

Murphy is in a similar boat. We have seen flashes of the potential he possesses, as an Ingram trade would clear the runway for a true breakout. 

Eligible for an extension, something needs to get done ahead of the regular season tipping off. If not, trade rumors will persist all season around him as well.

More than likely, the outcome will be New Orleans and Murphy getting a deal done, ramping up the trade speculation around Ingram even more. The two younger wings aren’t even in their prime and should be seen as foundational pieces for the franchise.

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report would go as far as to call them borderline untouchable.

“We're going to lump Murphy and Jones together for the sake of this exercise, as both should be considered nearly untouchable members of the New Orleans Pelicans right now…

The Pels need to keep both Murphy and Jones for a long time,” Swartz wrote.

He is 100 percent right with that assessment. Both are great fits around the new headlining duo of Williamson and Murray. Those four combined with Yves Missi developing a raw with promising skill set would give New Orleans one of the most versatile starting lineups in the NBA.