Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens threw Boston’s hat in the ring amid this offseason’s Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes. But Stevens could 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 could shift its interest from Antetokounmpo to Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III following the 26-year-old’s breakout season with New Orleans.
Murphy averaged 21.5 points through 66 games logged with the Pelicans last season, while setting career-highs with 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and a 47 percent shooting clip from the field. Still, while Murphy stands out as an intriguing fit for the Celtics, the interest he’s generating from Stevens and company remains predicated solely on how Giannis’ market plays out.
For the past week, Boston has led the race alongside the Heat as the primary frontrunners, according to the league’s rumor mill, while the Bucks desperately seek a way to sever ties with Antetokounmpo once and for all. So far, it’s been a lot of hearsay more than anything else, with the expectation that Giannis becomes the first major domino to fall this offseason.
Stevens, during his end-of-the-season press conference less than a week after Boston’s first-round playoff elimination, insinuated changes were on the horizon. He highlighted rim protection, prioritized easy looks at the rim, and acknowledged the increased difficulty of winning a championship with teams rapidly improving and fewer organizations tanking with intention, unlike this past year.
Murphy, as a target, checks a lot of boxes for the Celtics and their scheme to remain contenders in the Eastern Conference.
For starters, landing Murphy — unlike Giannis — could help Boston keep the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown duo intact. Murphy is under a four-year, $112 million contract signed with New Orleans, with three years left. He’s earning roughly $28 million in annual salary, posing a much easier avenue for Stevens to work with, compared to Antetokounmpo’s pending forced exit from Milwaukee, giving the Bucks zero leverage.
Murphy shot a career-best 37.9 percent from three last season and is among the league’s elite rising two-way wings. At 6-foot-8, Murphy has shown an ability to score off-ball, defend with versatility, and attack the rim with explosive athleticism. Plus, unlike Giannis, Stevens could strike a simple, easy one-for-one swap with New Orleans without having to search for a third team to facilitate a Murphy-to-Boston trade.
The Celtics have a trade exception large enough ($27.7 million) to make Murphy’s contract work, plus a price tag that isn’t nearly as high as Giannis’ presumed asking price either.
Boston also has a handful of future first-round picks — including the 27th overall selection in next Tuesday’s 2026 NBA Draft — to work with in assembling a trade package for Murphy if Stevens and the front office pursue that course of action.
Speaking of Plan Bs, Amick also reported that there’s interest in Derrick White. After consecutive Western Conference Finals exits and a second-round ousting this season, the Minnesota Timberwolves could again reshape their roster and have shown interest in trading for White. Salary-wise, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle make sense as straight-up trade candidates and do make some sense for a Boston team needing frontcourt help, but dealing the All-Defensive First Teamer might be a bridge too far for Stevens.
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