The Golden State Warriors had a difficult 2025-26 season, with injury problems making it impossible for them to have a good campaign even with the additions of veteran big men Kristaps Porzingis (at the deadline) and Al Horford. They finished with a 37-45 record, and they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the play-in tournament battle for the eighth seed out West, as Stephen Curry’s return late in the season proved to be a little too late.
The biggest loss for the Dubs last season was that of Jimmy Butler’s, and he’s expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2026-27 season while recovering from a torn ACL. Butler made it so that the Warriors had at least a sliver of a chance of making it deep into the playoffs, but his loss was downright devastating, setting back the Dubs and, perhaps, ending the team’s hopes of winning another title in the Curry era.
But it’s not like the Warriors are simply going to be throwing in the towel just because Butler is out, Moses Moody will be missing the entire 2026-27 season with a ruptured patellar tendon, and the roster around Curry and Draymond Green has become rather depleted.
To that end, a potential trade for Trey Murphy could come to fruition, and noise surrounding that hypothetical has picked up with the NBA Draft being only a few days away.
The Warriors hold the number 11 pick of this year’s draft, and perhaps they could package that, along with other assets, to bring Murphy in from the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans have remained steadfast in their exorbitant asking price for Murphy, however, so it will take the Warriors a lot to acquire the 26-year-old forward.
But here are a few reasons as to why the Warriors should stay away.
The Warriors are not one piece away from winning it all
The Pelicans have been asking for multiple first-round picks in any trade scenario involving Murphy, and it’s hard to fault them for doing so. Murphy fits on every lineup in the NBA, and at 6’9″, he provides positional versatility that makes him the perfect player to add for a team missing just one more piece in their quest for a title.
The Warriors are not that team. It might even require the Dubs to part ways with the likes of Brandin Podziemski or Gui Santos just to bring Murphy in, and at that point, Murphy will be arriving in town to supplement a heavily-depleted roster. The league has had many cautionary tales as to why this would be an asinine decision.
For instance, the New York Knicks brought in Carmelo Anthony in 2011, sending away the likes of Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Timofey Mozgov, just to name a few, in the process. That trade stripped the Knicks of their depth, and it set New York on a path where they had to rely on veterans to fill in the gaps. And when those veterans retired, the foundation wasn’t nearly enough for them to sustain winning basketball.
The Warriors are going to be making a similarly fatal error if they decide to just blow all their assets to bring Murphy in. Adding Murphy’s 21.5 points per game on efficient shooting splits will give the team a higher ceiling, but not at the cost of their depth.
Bringing up the Knicks in another instance, they were able to trade so many future firsts for Mikal Bridges in 2024 because they felt as though they were not too far away from winning it all. They then doubled down by adding Karl-Anthony Towns, because they had the assets to consolidate their talent even further.
The 2024-25 Knicks did not have much depth, nor did head coach Tom Thibodeau show the bench much trust. The following season, the Knicks were able to add more pieces, such as Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado, and they brought the NBA title home.
The Warriors are nowhere near that position where giving up multiple first-round picks for Murphy will be worth it.
Golden State needs to prepare for its post-Stephen Curry future
Curry is already 38 years of age, and the Warriors front office has to know that even a man of his greatness succumbs to Father Time eventually. He possibly could have LeBron James-esque longevity (at least in terms of how old he’ll be when he retires), but aging stars have limitations. They are no longer as consistent as they were in the past, and they need more rest days than ever.
Curry’s knee troubles this past season suggests that the mileage he’s racked up throughout his career with all the running he’s doing throughout the course of games is catching up to him. And the Warriors cannot be shortsighted in the way they build the roster around him in his twilight years, as they will have to embark on a rebuild sooner or later once the greatest player in franchise history hangs up his sneakers.
What’s healthy about the Warriors organization moving forward is that they at least own all of their future first-round picks, except for 2030. Even then, that 2030 first-rounder, which they traded in the Jordan Poole deal, could just as easily be theirs anyway, as that selection is protected for spots 1-20.
If the Warriors decide to simply blow it up upon Curry’s retirement, they could do so with confidence knowing that they don’t owe other teams their future firsts. Trading for Murphy would change that. At this point, acquiring Murphy may require a Bridges-esque package, and that is simply not going to be a smart move for the Dubs with regards to the long-term health of the franchise.
Who knows, maybe the Warriors stumble upon one of the greatest steals in the draft in the coming years, making their two timeline dreams come true? They have tried for so long to find the heir to Curry’s throne, but they messed up to start the decade with the disastrous James Wiseman pick and the cataclysmic Poole incident.
Holding on to those picks gives the Warriors a chance to draft someone who can finally take the mantle from Curry and give the team a foundational piece even once Curry retires.
The post Why Warriors must not trade No. 11 pick to Pelicans for Trey Murphy III appeared first on ClutchPoints.
