The most coveted trade asset the New Orleans Pelicans have ahead of the offseason is Trey Murphy. He is the type of versatile, pre-prime, two-way player on a team-friendly contract that every single playoff team will be interested in. Since the Pelicans are far away from contention and Murphy has the most trade value on the team by a wide margin, there is an expectation around the league that he may be on the trade block this summer. Whether the Pelicans' front office thinks of him as a trade candidate, however, is another question. In fact, there have been conflicting reports about Murphy's availability in the trade market in recent weeks. Is Pelicans' Trey Murphy On the Trade Block or Not? A day doesn't go by without a new Trey Murphy trade rumor hitting the social media timelines. Bill Simmons was the latest talking head to suggest that the 25-year-old forward is "probably going to get traded over the next three weeks," before naming a few contenders, including his beloved Celtics, as potential suitors. This obviously generated a ton of online buzz, leading the fans to turn on their trade machines for Murphy deals for their favorite teams. Then, The Athletic's Will Guillory poured cold water on these trade talks when he posted, "Just want to make sure I'm on record saying any talk of trading Trey Murphy is absolute insanity," on X. This has left Pelicans fans wondering where the reality lies. As a leading beat reporter who spends a ton of time around the team, Guillory obviously has more of the inside scoop. He is almost certainly right about the organization's unwillingness to move on from Murphy. They have been adamant about their desire to keep this core together and have expressed no interest in a future without Murphy. Yet, there is a chance Murphy ends up being the one initiating these trade talks. Even if the Pels have no interest in moving him, Murphy could be the one asking out and forcing a trade. This isn't to say that's what's happening here, but it wouldn't be a major surprise that a player of his caliber who is drawing significant interest around the league would want to be traded to a contender. All of this depends on the type of package the Pelicans can get on the market. Even when a team is unwilling to trade a player, they could get an offer they simply can't refuse. This could certainly happen to the Pelicans this summer. If there is a desperate enough team willing to give up three or four first-round picks with some upside as well as a young player or two of intrigue, it should be very difficult for the Pels to say no to trading Murphy. There is no denying that the Pelicans want to keep Murphy in an ideal world. Yet, circumstances change very quickly in the NBA, and they may find themselves in a situation where they have to say goodbye to their best player. Regardless of how little the Pelicans seem interested, the trade buzz surrounding Murphy isn't going anywhere. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow