3 Centers Pelicans Can Trade Dejounte Murray For

The New Orleans Pelicans have limited resources to upgrade the roster this summer. Their entire rotation is under contract for another season, so the Pelicans won't have the cap space to be active in free agency. They don't have a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, either. This means that they have to be involved in the trade market to have a chance to revamp their core for next season and beyond.

Who will actually be made available by the Pelicans is currently unclear. There seems to be an intention to keep Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy alongside the Jeremiah Fears- Derik Queen duo. The fate of the rest of the veterans, however, remains to be seen.

Dejounte Murray's future is especially fascinating. The oldest player in the Pelicans' rotation, Murray doesn't fit the timeline in New Orleans. He is due $32.7 million next season and has a player option for $30.7 million for the season after. Given the Pelicans' needs elsewhere on the roster, it makes sense to try to turn Murray into a player who fills more of a need.

Center is the most obvious need. The Pelicans need a rim protector and a rebounder. Who can the Pelicans trade for by using Murray as a trade chip?

Nic Claxton

The Brooklyn Nets have little incentive to tank next season since they don't control their own first-round pick in 2027. They will be motivated to take a step forward, which means that they need to upgrade their point guard rotation. The Nets used three rookies in their backcourt last season: Egor Demin, Ben Saraf, and Nolan Traore. While they showed some potential, the Nets would need a competent veteran running point if they are to improve next season.

That is why a Murray-for-Claxton swap could make sense for both teams. Claxton makes $23.1 million next season, so the Nets would be taking on more salary by acquiring Murray, but they have a ton of space this summer. The Pelicans may need to entice the Nets to do this deal with another asset, as Claxton is a younger player with more upside. As a solid rim protector and a rim-running center, he is a nice fit, especially defensively, for the Pelicans.

Daniel Gafford

The Dallas Mavericks are entering a new era with Cooper Flagg at the center of it all. They just hired Masai Ujiri as the lead decision-maker and fired Jason Kidd as their head coach. This will augur more changes to the roster this summer.

One thing they will need to do is to balance the roster. They are a frontcourt-heavy team with Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively, Cooper Flagg, and PJ Washington. At the same time, they only have Kyrie Irving as a perimeter creator, and he is a 34-year-old coming off a torn ACL. Murray would fill a clear need there.

A Gafford-Murray swap could be the type of move both teams could use. Gafford wouldn't solve the Pelicans' rebounding or shooting woes, but he is a very good rim protector. He is also only 27 years old, so he could be a part of this Pelicans core for the next half-decade or so.

Gafford is due $17.2 million next season, so the Mavs would need to add more salary to make this deal work. As a general framework for a trade, however, this makes a ton of sense for the division rivals.

Myles Turner

Since the Bucks will almost certainly trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, it's only a matter of time before Turner will be made available. The 30-year-old center is due $26.5 million next season, so matching salaries in a trade with Murray should be relatively easy.

Thanks to his rim protection and shooting ability, Turner is a great fit next to Zion Williamson and Derik Queen. He can be the defensive anchor the Pelicans needed for a long time.

The Bucks may not be interested in Murray as they kickstart a rebuild, but this could be a three-team trade. If that's the case, Murray could be sent to a point guard-needy team. The Pelicans may need to add some draft capital or a sweetener in this trade, but it may be worth it to get a good fit like Turner.