Working with New Orleans already worked once for Milwaukee. There's a real argument it could work again -- this time through trading for none other than Trey Murphy.
In 2020, Milwaukee traded for Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans in a move that immediately changed the complexion of the roster and eventually convinced Giannis Antetokounmpo that the Bucks were serious enough to extend with. We know how the story goes. The Greek Freak ended up signing a supermax deal weeks after the trade. They won a championship that same summer. The Pelicans, once again, have a player the Bucks need. And perhaps history is available for a repeat.
"Trey Murphy [III], we assume he's probably going to get traded over these next three weeks. I think Boston is a possibility," Bill Simmons was quoted as saying in a recent episode of his podcast. "We thought whoever lost this matchup [Spurs and Thunder] was a possibility; there's a couple [of] other teams. But you have two, three weeks to trade for somebody like that."
A trade with New Orleans could end up being the reason Giannis stays
If the expectation around the league is that Trey Murphy III is probably going to be traded over the next three weeks, then a genuine second option is hitting the trade market sometime soon. And at this point in his career, Murphy is already the kind of pre-prime, two-way wing that contenders spend years trying to develop and usually have to give up three first-rounders to acquire.
That's obviously a little steep for any asset and cash-strapped team. But Milwaukee could be that team, and Giannis is the reason why.
The parallels to 2021 are impossible to ignore. Giannis was evaluating whether or not the Bucks could actually build something worth staying for in the immediate future. Jon Horst swung for the fences, and the Holiday trade was all it took to change his mind.
Now, with Giannis once again at a crossroads, the Bucks are in a position where a single roster move could again be the difference between a franchise player who stays and one who doesn't.
Trey Murphy III's potential fit in Milwaukee is impossible to ignore
Murphy is the kind of player whose game makes the case for him. He's a 6-foot-8 wing who can score at all three levels, shoot from deep, defend multiple positions, and whose playmaking and driving are improving season over season. Next to Giannis, he doesn't need to create out of nothing. Perhaps in the same way as Khris Middleton once did, all he needs to do in this situation is space the floor, make the right read, and guard his man. And he already does all three at an elite level in a lesser situation.
Milwaukee should at least be considering that offer if they want to give contention another chance this season. By eventually winning the Bucks a championship, the Jrue trade also bought the franchise five more years of legitimate relevance. A Murphy acquisition, at the right price, could do something similar: signal to Giannis that the organization is still serious about building something that's worth staying for.
New Orleans gave Milwaukee its dynasty once. The Pelicans might be the only team in the league positioned to give it back.
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