Spicy trade proposal delivers Spurs the perfect player but at a high cost

I get it. The Spurs aren't perfect, and there are enticing players out there who can make this team better. But we need to be reasonable with these proposals. Sending away three players and four draft picks—two firsts and two seconds—is overkill for Trey Murphy III, and I like his game, too. San Antonio isn't in a disadvantageous position, though. They don't have to overpay for role players, and they shouldn't.

Spurs receive: Trey Murphy III and Saddiq Bey

Pelicans receive: Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, Carter Bryant, 2026 second-round pick (NOP or POR), 2027 first-round pick (ATL), 2028 second-round pick (NOP), 2031 first-round pick (SAS or SAC)

We have to be honest in our assessment of these players and what they'd be asked to do on their destination team. The Spurs already have their stars and playmakers. Anything else is just frosting for a team with too young a core to make "all-in" moves. Murphy would be asked to play defense, make threes, and make plays opportunistically. That's not worth the haul that Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley suggested.

People are overvaluing Murphy and undervaluing Spurs' assets

There are several things that need to be examined here. First of all, you can keep Saddiq Bey. He's a fine player, but he's not adding anything significant that the guys on this roster don't already provide. He averages 12 points on inefficient shooting, and he plays hard. Why would we give up KJ to get a worse offensive version of him? Murphy is the prize, but you have to consider all facets of the deal.

I'd much rather trade Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan but keep Bryant and Johnson. Trey would slide right into Dev's starting spot, and the Silver and Black would keep their spark off the bench. Keldon has scored the seventh-most points off the bench in the league. Bey isn't in the top 40.

Truly, my biggest hang-up in this deal is the former Arizona Wildcat. Carter is a promising young player whom the Spurs were really excited to add to the roster. If he develops right, he could end up being the next version of Trey Murphy. The Pelicans' highly coveted wing has already revealed that he's been somewhat of a mentor for the late first-rounder.

I'm not too hung up on the picks. Picks don't play. But I draw the line at four picks and three players for a role player. Even if he's a really good one.

Honestly, we still haven't seen this roster play at full capacity, and they're still winning games. I'd be completely fine with standing pat to see what they can do together. With the right tweaks, you may be able to convince me, but if they were to make a deal for a player like Trey Murphy, it can't be for a package like this one.