New Orleans Pelicans Workout Photo Heaps Huge Praise on Social Media

The Pelicans hope for another rise in play from young budding star Trey Murphy III.

Apr 2, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) celebrates after scoring a basket during the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The regular season starts in less than a month for the New Orleans Pelicans and individual players are preparing earnestly for the new year. New Orleans held a voluntary team workout in California last week. All players attended except for Brandon Ingram, who is currently in contract disputes with the team, and Daniel Theis. The German-born forward played this summer with the German National Team in Paris.

Another Pelicans player eligible for a contract extension is fourth-year forward Trey Murphy III. The former Virginia standout is eligible for a rookie extension, and the expectation is for the deal to be completed this season. Murphy III has spent his summer honing in on his basketball skills. He and Herb Jones were selected for the U.S. Select Team to help the Men's Olympic Team practice for the Summer Games.

The 6-foot-10 sharpshooter now is enlisting the help of one of the best basketball trainers in the game.

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A post shared by Drew Hanlen (@drewhanlen)

Drew Hanlen boasts himself as the No. 1 NBA Skills Coach and Consultant. He works closely with other NBA players like Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Zach Lavine, and others. The social media post also drew the attention of a couple of other prominent NBA players.

Fellow Pelicans teammate Dejounte Murray commented that he would personally help Murphy III make the next jump. Murray said during his introductory press conference in New Orleans that he would be here to challenge his teammates, and he hopes they do the same for him.

When speaking about growing a relationship with star forward Zion Williamson, Murray told reporters he would push Williamson to be his best.

I told him I'm going to push him (Williamson)," Murray continued. "If I see something I think he can be better at, if he sees something to me, we're going to be open to that. ... I'm excited to push him to the next level because there are a bunch of levels he can reach."

The Instagram post also caught the attention of Philadelphia 76ers rising star Tyrese Maxey, who sees a Most Improved Player Award in Murphy III's future. Maxey knows what it takes to win the prestigious award, as he won it last season after averaging career-highs in points (25.9), rebounds (3.7), and assists (6.2) last year.

Murphy III has improved his game in every season since being drafted by the Pelicans in 2021. Last season was his best yet, scoring 14.8 points per game in 57 appearances. New Orleans has even bigger hopes for Murphy III moving forward, as they view him as an integral piece moving forward with this franchise.