Pelicans an Intriguing Trade Partner for Celtics this Offseason

Multiple reports, including a Jake Fischer one on his Bleacher Report stream last night, have connected the Celtics with the New Orleans Pelicans, who joined the Rockets, Hawks and Trail Blazers as potential Jaylen Brown suitors this offseason. Boston could have interest in Trey Murphy III, who turns 26 later this month.

Mixed messages also continue to emerge regarding the Celtics’ interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose connection to the Miami Heat appeared to grow stronger this past week, with Marc Stein noting that his strongest interest lies with Boston and Miami at the moment. Antetokounmpo wants to be in Boston more than the Celtics want him, Bill Simmons indicated, while other reports followed that said the Celtics and Bucks haven’t had any Antetokounmpo talks yet. Milwaukee hopes to resolve the Antetokounmpo situation before the NBA Draft, which now sits less than three weeks away.

The Celtics have three choices this summer with some movement inevitable following a first round loss, makimng a splash like Antetokounmpo, small additions around the edges of the roster, or a revamp that takes the roster in a younger, more athletic and flexible direction. That would be the thinking behind a move like Murphy, which in exchange for Brown would almost surely bring additional players and draft capital.

The Pelicans have assembled an intriguing cast around oft-injured star Zion Williamson this decade, but have struggled to turn that roster into a winner. They fired head coach Willie Green last offseason, stood pat at the trade deadline with no real indication they held interest in selling, then hired former Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, who turned Orlando into a playoff team. Now, without a first-round pick due to their draft navigation last June, have to decide whether to run it back, build around a new star, or sell now.

Teams around the league would undoubtedly value Murphy, an athletic wing who’s scored 44 points in a game, shot 37.9% from three at volume and defends multiple positions at 6-9. Simmons shared a multiple-team deal concept on his podcast this week that brought Murphy, defensive stopper Herb Jones, young center Yves Missi and Cam Johnson to Boston from Denver along with a first-rounder and swap. Brown went to New Orleans and Sam Hauser to Denver in the deal, along with the Celtics’ second-rounder this year to the Nuggets.

Brown’s contract status would give the Pelicans some runway to form a winning roster around him and Zion Williamson. Murphy, who makes roughly half of Brown’s salary, would allow Boston to move forward with more flexibility, draft capital and young players. The risk, obviously, would come with trying to contend around a young, unproven cast alongside any uncertainty surrounding Jayson Tatum’s recovery from Achilles surgery.

Similar deals with Atlanta, Houston or Portland, unless any serve as Antetokounmpo facilitators, would aim to take the Celtics in a younger, more athletic direction with additional cap flexibility into the future. Should Boston continue to build around Tatum and Brown, they have some draft capital between their 2026 and 2027 firsts, along with ones into the 2030s, a $27-million trade exception and the full mid-level exception, but their possibilities among players in trades continue to revolve around Brown, Derrick White and Hauser.

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