Pistons should think hard about big trade for Trey Murphy, expert says

The Detroit Pistons showed why they are the top team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference with a convincing win over the then-second-place New York Knicks on Monday, Jan. 5, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

But one NBA expert thinks the Pistons should swing a big trade to help solidify their championship aspirations … and he has just the target.

With their win over the Knicks, the Pistons (27-9) extended their first-place lead to 3½ games over the second-place Boston Celtics and to four games over the Knicks, creating separation as the Pistons kicked off a six-game January homestand approaching the season’s halfway point.

Still, the Pistons should make a move to upgrade their roster, according to The Ringer’s NBA expert Zach Lowe. But he doesn’t expect the Pistons to trade for Utah Jazz sweet-shooting power forward Lauri Markkanen, saying the Pistons should instead consider trading for New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III.

“If I can get Trey Murphy III for [Pistons forward] Tobias Harris and some first-round picks, maybe three first-round picks and a swap, and [Pistons guard Jaden] Ivey, I’m thinking really hard about doing that,” Lowe said on Monday’s episode of “The Zach Lowe Show.”

For one, the Pelicans and Pistons have familiarity within their leadership: The Pels are run by president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and senior vice president of basketball Troy Weaver. Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon previously worked for New Orleans.

Murphy, 25, is in his fifth NBA season drafted No. 17 overall out of Virginia, and is averaging 20.7 points per game for the Pelicans (8-29), who are second-worst in the league but owe their first-round pick unprotected to Atlanta. Murphy, 6 feet 8, could provide defense and ample shooting, as his 7.4 3-point attempts per game is higher than all Pistons shooters so far in the 2025-26 season (guard Duncan Robinson leads Detroit with 7.1 attempts per game).

Murphy is shooting 38.4% on 3-pointers, above the 36% league average but far from the best mark in the league (Tari Eason at 48.8%). His effective field goal percentage − which accounts for 3s being worth more than 2s instead of the standard field goal shooting statistic − of 58.8% would lead all Pistons with more than 10 games played this season, with only inside-scoring big men Paul Reed and Jalen Duren having a higher eFG%.

But according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, Lowe’s co-host on the episode, Duren exemplifies one of the Pistons’ biggest shortcomings on offense.

“Duren doesn’t shoot 3s,” he said. “Ausar [Thompson], not a shooter. Cade [Cunningham], that’s the weak point in his game. You’re playing with a bunch of guys [who] just aren’t shooters.”

That bears out in the numbers. The Pistons, despite placing 10th in points per game at 118.8, are 26th in the league in 3-pointers made per game (11.2). Only Robinson and Cunningham are averaging more than four 3-point attempts per game, with Cunningham making them at a below-league average 34%.

Meanwhile, two of the NBA’s top three teams by 3-pointers made per game are arguably the biggest challengers to the Pistons in the East: the Boston Celtics (No. 1 at 15.9 per game) and the Knicks (No. 3 at 15.3 per game). That gives the Pistons room for growth according to Lowe, especially with the East having no juggernaut to compete against.

“I think this conference is there for the taking, and [the Pistons] can take it with one even-decent trade,” Lowe said.

ANALYSIS: Pistons’ signature win over Knicks shows hot start is real

Murphy has come up in trade scenarios before for Detroit, with our Pistons insider Omari Sankofa III suggesting a possible trade for Murphy last June, considering his production and good contract (Year 1 of a $112 million deal, an average annual salary of $28 million).

But there is some pushback against the Pistons making a trade.

In an episode of the Free Press’ “The Pistons Pulse” podcast released Sunday, guest James Edwards III, of The Athletic, said the Pistons shouldn’t swing a trade “just to make a move,” highlighting Brooklyn Nets forward and frequent trade target Michael Porter Jr. as an example of a player the Pistons shouldn’t chase.

“Do I think Michael Porter Jr. makes them better? Yeah. Would I give up two first [round picks] for a shooting small forward who doesn’t defend? Not really,” Edwards said. “I would hold on to all of my eggs just to wait for the right opportunity to arise.”

It is worth mentioning Lowe on Monday’s podcast ranked the Pistons as the No. 2 team in the East behind the Knicks, adding a caveat before the end of the episode.

“The most hilarious outcome would be the Pistons beating the Knicks by, like, 30 on a back-to-back, and Pistons fans being like, ‘See? We shoulda been number one,'” he said.

The Pistons beat the Knicks by 31 a few hours later.

[ MUST WATCH: Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] 

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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.

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