Proposed Trade Sends Pacers' $98 Million Trio to Pelicans for Trey Murphy III

It was a disappointing season for the Indiana Pacers last year as they finished 14th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 19-63 record.

Of course, the Pacers are expected to bounce back this upcoming season with their core led by Tyrese Haliburton, who is set to return after missing all of last season with a torn Achilles, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac.

Indiana also made some key additions to the team’s roster this offseason as they signed both Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. in free agency to bolster their depth.

While the Pacers did add some key pieces in free agency, they could also look to make more moves ahead of the new season. One area they could look to upgrade is at forward, especially with Aaron Nesmith having played a combined 90 games over the past two seasons.

Mock Trade Lands Pacers Trey Murphy III From Pelicans

If Indiana does elect to do this, one player they could target is New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III.

In a potential trade, the Pacers could send a package of Obi Toppin, Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker and multiple picks to the Pelicans in exchange for Murphy III and Karlo Matkovic.

Of course, the Pelicans have had an extremely high asking price for their star forward over the past few seasons, which may cause the Pacers to have to include multiple first-round picks in a potential deal, along with multiple key players from their roster.

Despite this, adding Murphy III to their roster would give Indiana a reliable 3-and-D wing who could fit well alongside Haliburton, Siakam and Zubac in the starting lineup.

Murphy III is a great scorer who could fit well in Indiana’s system with Haliburton running point and he would also provide the Pacers with another great defensive wing.

Last season, the 26-year-old forward averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47.0% from the field and 37.9% from three.

By acquiring Murphy III, the Pacers could position themselves to make a run at the top seed in the Eastern Conference and potentially reach the NBA Finals once again this upcoming season.

While that may be the case, the Pelicans may want more in return for their star forward as they have maintained a high asking price for him over the past few seasons. This could cause the Pacers to look elsewhere to bolster their roster ahead of the 2026-27 season.