Mavericks May Get Trey Murphy III to Pair With Cooper Flagg, But At What Value?

The Dallas Mavericks are anticipated to enter the 2025 NBA playoffs, however they had been overwhelmed shortly by the Memphis Grizzlies within the play-in. After buying and selling famous person Luka Doncic and having an injured Kyrie Irving, the group has no backcourt reply anymore, however its frontcourt depth stays spectacular.

With the group buying Duke sensation Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 total choose within the 2025 NBA Draft, roster equilibrium has turn into the recent matter of offseason rumors at a speedy tempo. According to experiences, Dallas is planning to get one other younger participant within the frontcourt: Trey Murphy III.

Cooper Flagg Tops a Deep Mavericks Frontcourt

Signing Cooper Flagg is a big win for Dallas. The 6-foot-9 Duke ahead is a generational two-way participant who ought to make an instantaneous influence on either side of the ground. Right now, the Mavericks have already got a frontcourt stuffed with depth with Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, and younger expertise Dereck Lively II, based on Sports Illustrated.

Other depth contributions like Caleb Martin, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and veteran Dwight Powell all emphasize the requirement for roster rebalancing, particularly within the backcourt, the place Dallas is brief on reliable depth behind Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, and Max Christie.

Suggested Trade: Gafford, Washington, and Picks for Trey Murphy III

With the abundance, NBA insider Bobby Karilla of DLLS Mavs proposed an enormous commerce deal: the Mavericks traded P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and two future first-round draft picks for growing wing Trey Murphy III to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Murphy is a prototypical modern NBA 3&D wing at 6’8″. He not only offers elite perimeter shooting and shutdown defense but also demonstrated enhanced shot-making and playmaking in the 2024–2025 season.

The Pelicans, though reportedly willing to trade any player on their roster, have put a steep price tag on Murphy—deservedly, considering his ceiling and positional worth.

Is Dallas Overpaying in Potential Deal?

While the addition of Murphy would address a hole on the wing, most analysts feel the trade would be an overpay. Both Gafford and Washington are good contributors, and Dallas would be trading its most tradable pieces.

To boot, two future first-round draft choices, in a league where draft money is kings’ ransom, would severely cripple Dallas in trading moves down the road.

It would be a poor use of assets, particularly in light of the Mavericks’ greater need for backcourt help and floor space, to trade quality frontcourt depth for one wing without patching other holes. It’s especially risky if Murphy does not develop into an All-Star-type player.

With Cooper Flagg joining the squad and the Pelicans open to trading, Dallas has some leverage. But the front office needs to weigh talent accumulation against long-term vision. Instead of committing to one player like Murphy, maybe it would be wiser to bundle frontcourt pieces in a series of smaller trades to cover guard play and wing bolstering.