Trey Murphy Q&A: Dejounte Murray Trade, Brandon Ingram talks, Zion Williamson, Pelicans (original) (raw)

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Trey Murphy Q&A: Dejounte Murray Trade, Brandon Ingram talks, Zion Williamson, Pelicans

It’s a big summer for New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy, who’s been a part of Team USA’s Select team and is eligible for an extension this summer.

Following Team USA’s practice in Las Vegas, Murphy spoke with HoopsHype about his experience playing with the National Team, what the Dejounte Murray trade means for the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram trade talks, his potential expanded role next season, what’s next for Zion Williamson, expectations for New Orleans, and more.

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Trey Murphy: It’s been great. I wish I could’ve been out there playing, but I’ve been working out and been around those guys all the time. Seeing how they work and carry themselves on a daily basis is pretty cool.

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TM: It’s great, especially because he brings a lot of offensive firepower to our team. When you add a guy like that to a team, it’s obviously going to be a lot better, so I’m happy to get him on our team.

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TM: We’ve got a lot of weapons, and we already had a lot. We’ve got even more weapons now. We obviously lost a lot of key guys we had on last year’s team, like Naji Marshall, Dyson Daniels, and Larry Nance Jr. We’re going to miss their presence a lot. But I definitely think we’re going to do a lot of stuff with the team we have now, and I’m sure we’re not even done with our roster construction.

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TM: It’s tough, and it’s also a part of the business. Brandon’s been unbelievable when it comes to being a role model, seeing how he works on a daily basis. He’s always been there for me and coached me up. He does all the little things. I work out with him and spend time with him off the court. It’s tough to potentially lose a brother like that, but it’s part of the business, and sometimes it might be what’s best for him. You never know what it is, but you’ve always got to make sure that he looks out for his best interests at the end of the day because that’s how it is.

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TM: You get to see what a generational talent looks like with a healthy team. That’s the biggest thing. We’ve got to be healthy. That’s always been our thing for my entire time in New Orleans. If we have a healthy team, I think we can make a deep run.

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TM: I’m continuing to get better, grow my skills, understand that my opportunity is coming, and I have to prepare for it.

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

TM: The biggest thing is making a run in the playoffs. I don’t really have a lot of individual goals. If you take care of business and do what you’re supposed to do, then the individual stuff will come along with it. I want to be reliable and consistent on a nightly basis. I think that’s the biggest thing for me.

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TM: I think more offensive responsibility and usage, whether that’s pick-and-rolls and more isolations here and there.

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TM: They meant a lot. It’s not just basketball. Off the court, those guys were big pieces of the locker room and helped gel the guys together. It’s going to be tough losing them, but it’s a part of the business, and it might be better for them in the long run.

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

TM: Be excited for us again. We made it to the playoffs, and we had a really good regular season. We’re only getting better. Guys are going to get older, and we’re going to get smarter. People have to be a little patient with us at times, but we’re definitely coming.

You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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Business, Interview, NBA, Pelicans, QA Category, Trade, Blast, Featured, no_yh, Top