NBA
TM
#25

Trey Murphy III

Forward · New Orleans Pelicans · 6'8", 206 lb · Born Jun 18, 2000 · Durham, North Carolina · Drafted 17th overall, 2021
Franchise 3PT leaderDunk Contest finalist3-and-D scorer$112M extension
NBANew Orleans PelicansForwards
Compare:vs Murrayvs Queenvs Jonesvs Fearsvs Poolevs Bey
In short

Trey Murphy III is a 6-foot-8 3-and-D wing turned primary scorer for the New Orleans Pelicans — an elite shooter and explosive athlete. Drafted 17th in 2021 out of Virginia, where he was a rare 50-40-90 shooter, he leaped to a career-high 21-plus points a game, became the franchise's all-time three-point leader, and signed a four-year, $112 million extension.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceFri, Nov 13
@Minnesota TimberwolvesDrop coverage
Proj. points
21.3
range 18.1–24.6
Line 21.5
48%
to go over
Team win
37%
111–114
Poi 21.3 Lean underReb 5.7 Lean overAss 3.8 Lean underPRA 30.8 Lean under
Likely on himJaden McDaniels· 84 Perimeter DStrong defender
20+ pts64%25+ pts15%

Model lines III at 21.3 pts (range 18.1–24.6) vs a 21.5 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (48%).

Model favors Minnesota Timberwolves (63%), projected 111–114, ~225 total at 96.5 pace.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about III
The III Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
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An elite-shooting 3-and-D wing turned primary scorer — floor spacing and scoring for the Pelicans.

A 50-40-90 shooter at Virginia, Murphy was drafted 17th in 2021 and traded to New Orleans.

🏫 Virginia · 17th, 2021Durham, NC

He grew from a floor-spacer into a featured scorer, leaping to 21-plus a game.

21.5 ppgFeatured scorer

He became the Pelicans' all-time three-point leader and scored a career-high 44.

Franchise 3PT king44-pt game

An elite shooter and dunker, he signed a four-year, $112M extension.

4 yr / $112MCore piece
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
21.5
2025-26
RPG
5.7
per game
APG
3.8
per game
FG%
.470
.379 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

An elite-shooting 3-and-D wing turned primary scorer — floor spacing and scoring for the Pelicans.

Trey Murphy III was born in Durham, North Carolina and rose from Rice to Virginia, where he posted a rare 50-40-90 shooting season, before Memphis drafted him 17th in 2021 and traded him to New Orleans. He grew from a role-playing floor-spacer into a featured scorer.

He leaped to a career-high 21-plus points a game, became the Pelicans' all-time three-point leader, and dropped a career-high 44 points, earning a four-year, $112 million extension. An elite shooter and explosive athlete (a Slam Dunk Contest finalist), he is a long-term core piece, with health his main watch item.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Murphy is the son of a former East Carolina player and goes by 'Trey' (the third) in a family of Kenneths. A high-flying athlete who reached the Slam Dunk Contest finals, he pairs that explosiveness with one of the purest shooting strokes in the league — a combination that made him a coveted young wing.

His on-court identity is elite shooting and expanding shot creation — a 6-foot-8 wing with catch-and-shoot and movement shooting (a career 38% from three on high volume), transition scoring, and growing self-creation. His four-year, $112 million extension reflects his evolution into a first- or second-scoring option; health (a 2024-25 shoulder surgery) is the main variable.

PERSONALITY

The person

An elite-shooting, athletic wing — catch-and-shoot and movement shooting with growing shot creation.

Elite shooterA career 38% from three on high volume; a college 50-40-90 season.
Explosive athleteA Slam Dunk Contest finalist.
Rising scorerLeaped to 21-plus points a game as a featured option.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Lead Wing Scorer · 3-and-D
Temperament
Alpha
Leadership
58/100
Scoring75
Playmaking51
Rebounding64
Perimeter D70
Rim protection47
Spacing67
Athleticism70
Clutch69
a lead wing scorer and 3-and-D shot-creator
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Elite shooting and scoring

Murphy's value is elite shooting and expanding shot creation — a 6-foot-8 wing with catch-and-shoot and movement shooting (a career 38% from three on high volume), transition scoring, and growing self-creation, who leaped to 21-plus points a game. Becoming the franchise's all-time three-point leader underlines his floor-spacing value and evolution into a primary scorer.

Health and consistency

The watch items are health (a 2024-25 shoulder surgery) and sustaining his scoring jump as a lead option. His elite shooting is a proven, translatable skill, and his athleticism and improving creation give him a high ceiling; his $112 million extension reflects New Orleans's belief that he's a long-term core piece.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-266635.521.55.73.8.470.379

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

CollegeA rare 50-40-90 shooting season at Virginia
FranchiseSurpassed CJ McCollum as the Pelicans' all-time three-point leader
2026Career-high 44 points vs. Milwaukee

Hardware

17th
Draft pick (2021)
1×
Dunk Contest finalist (2023)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

An elite-shooting wing and rising primary scorer — floor spacing and scoring for the Pelicans.

Murphy has evolved from a complementary floor-spacer into a legitimate scoring option, pairing elite shooting with improving on-ball creation. His four-year, $112 million extension signals New Orleans views him as a long-term core piece; health and sustaining his scoring jump are the main watch items.

Three-point shootingElite
ScoringStrong
AthleticismStrong
Health / creationWatch

Contract

Deal
4 yr / $112M signed 2024
Role
Scoring wing core
Age
26 prime
Bottom line

An elite-shooting 3-and-D wing who leaped into a 21-point scorer and franchise three-point leader — a long-term core piece for the Pelicans, with health the main variable.

FAQ

Quick answers

What is Trey Murphy III known for?

Elite shooting turned primary scoring — a 6-foot-8 wing with a career 38% from three who leaped to 21-plus points a game and became the Pelicans' all-time three-point leader.

What did Trey Murphy III do in college?

At Virginia he posted a rare 50-40-90 shooting season before being drafted 17th overall in 2021.

Is Trey Murphy III a good athlete?

Yes — he's an explosive leaper who competed as a finalist in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.