NBA Rumors: Celtics, Trey Murphy III, Wizards, Anthony Davis, Magic

Celtics

The Celtics may have a Plan B if a Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster never materializes.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Boston is among the teams with interest in Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III, who continues to generate attention around the league.

You can see why.

Murphy is coming off a breakout season, averaging 21.5 points while shooting nearly 38 percent from three-point range. At 25 years old, he fits both Boston’s timeline and style of play.

The bigger point here is that the Celtics don’t appear desperate.

Unlike some teams chasing Giannis, Boston can always bring back the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown core and look for upgrades around the edges. Murphy could fit into that category if New Orleans decides to seriously entertain offers.

Wizards

Anthony Davis may not be looking for the exit after all.

Speaking with NBC4 Sports, Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger said Davis has expressed a strong desire to be part of what the Wizards are building.

“My conversations with AD are delightful,” Winger said. “He’s a pro’s pro.”

That’s notable because there was plenty of speculation surrounding Davis after he landed in Washington as part of a multi-team deal earlier this year.

At 33, Davis is still chasing another championship, and not everyone was convinced he’d be thrilled about joining a rebuilding team.

At least publicly, the Wizards are saying all the right things. And according to Winger, Davis is as well.

Magic

The Magic continue to get mentioned in Giannis rumors.

The Magic continue to say almost nothing about them.

Orlando president Jeff Weltman recently declined to address speculation linking the franchise to Antetokounmpo, citing the NBA’s tampering rules.

Still, Weltman admitted there’s a compliment buried somewhere in all the chatter.

“You can’t get into that conversation without talent,” he said, via Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.

That’s probably the biggest takeaway.

Whether Orlando is actually pursuing Giannis remains unclear. But the fact that the Magic keep surfacing in discussions says plenty about how the rest of the league views a roster built around Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane.

Either way, Orlando appears content to let everyone else do the talking.

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