Boston’s Next Move After Jaylen Brown Trade Could Land Pelicans Wing Trey Murphy III

The Boston Celtics are barely a week removed from trading Jaylen Brown, and already the rumor mill has them zeroing in on a potential replacement on the wing. After sending the 2024 Finals MVP to Philadelphia in a deal that brought back Paul George and a pile of draft picks, the Celtics now have to figure out how to build around a Tatum-George core. And according to league sources speaking to Yahoo Sports, one name at the top of their list is New Orleans Pelicans swingman Trey Murphy III.

The logic is pretty straightforward. Murphy is 26, he just led the Pelicans in scoring at 21.5 points a night, and he shot 37.9 percent from three this season. He’s the kind of two-way wing who can space the floor for Tatum and George while also holding his own defensively against the league’s best scorers. That’s a rare combo. And with New Orleans reportedly seeking a package worth roughly three first-round picks, Boston suddenly has the assets to make it happen.

Here’s what the Celtics got back in the Brown trade: Paul George, Philadelphia’s 2028 and 2031 first-round picks, plus the 76ers’ 2028 and 2030 second-round selections. That’s two future firsts they can flip immediately. Murphy is entering the second year of a four-year, $108 million deal, so his $27 million salary for next season needs matching. Boston could package Jaden Springer and Jordan Walsh — both young, modest-salaried players — to make the money work while keeping their core intact.

The Celtics had initially tried to include Brown in a package for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Miami beat them to that deal. Missing out on the Greek Freak stings, but Murphy represents a solid fallback. He averaged 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals last season while shooting 47 percent from the field. He’s efficient, versatile and young enough to grow alongside Tatum.

Boston won’t be alone in this chase. The Golden State Warriors have maintained interest in Murphy, though their focus may have shifted to bigger targets like LeBron James. The Detroit Pistons are also lurking, and they might be able to put together a better offer. Detroit has a young center in Jalen Duren they’ve reportedly shopped, plus multiple future first-round picks to sweeten the deal.

But don’t count out Brad Stevens. He’s shown a willingness to be aggressive, and after tearing down the championship roster — only Tatum remains from that 2024 starting five — he’s clearly not done reshaping this team. Whether Murphy ends up in Boston or somewhere else, the next few weeks will tell us a lot about how the Celtics plan to stay competitive in a suddenly stacked Eastern Conference.