Pelicans, Trey Murphy III Agree To Four-Year Contract Extension

The Pelicans and small forward Trey Murphy III have agreed to a four-year, $112 million contract extension, agents Sean Kennedy and Jeff Schwartz told NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

The deal won’t include a player option, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. It will begin during the 2025-26 season.

Murphy, 24, is 6-foot-8 and entering his fourth NBA season, all with New Orleans. He averaged 14.8 points and 4.9 rebounds, shooting 44 percent from the field and 38 percent on 3-pointers in 57 appearances last year.

So the Pelicans need his outside shooting to complement the likes of Zion Williamson and newcomer Dejounte Murray.

Murphy’s deal is interesting in the sense that you have to wonder what it means for starting small forward Brandon Ingram, who has failed to agree to an extension himself.

“Murphy is the sixth 2021 first-round pick to land a contract extension ahead of today’s 6 PM ET deadline, joining Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner and Moses Moody,” Stein wrote. “Last October brought a record 14 rookie-scale extensions.”

Basically, this deal shows that the Pelicans clearly believe Murphy can help lift them to the next level, and this extension locks in one of their key young players for the long haul. 

And New Orleans truly is at a crossroads, aiming to become a darkhorse in the Western Conference after losing to the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs last season.

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