NBA Trade Idea To Land Western Conference Team a Real Point Guard

People inside the Phoenix Suns' locker room are annoyed that the team doesn't have a real point guard on the roster, per Chris Haynes of NBA TV . The New Orleans Pelicans and Dejounte Murray may want to go their separate ways, according to Shamit Dua of In The N.O .

Not sure about you, but it sounds like there's a deal to be made here.

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Jalen Green, 2027 second-round pick (less favorable of Boston and Orlando), $3.5 million cash

Financial notes : Murray is on the books for $32.8 million, but his $2.4 million in unlikely incentives count against the Suns' apron calculations. That brings his inbound value to $35.2 million, which is still lower than Green's $36.2 million salary . Both Murray ($30.8 million) and Green ($36 million) also hold player options for 2027-28.

In: Jalen Green, 2027 second-round pick, $3.5 million cash

As In The N.O.'s Shamit Dua writes, "many around the league believe the Pelicans and Murray would like to work together to find a better situation for the veteran guard." We can quibble over whether the Suns count as a "better situation." But landing on a team obsessed with playing past Apr. 11 makes at least slightly more sense.

Though Green isn't the cleanest fit in The Big Easy, he's nearly six years younger and more athletic than Murray. He also doesn't have an Achilles injury in his rearview. Last season was the first time he racked up a significant number of absences.

Despite identical career clips from beyond the arc, Green is the more dangerous shooter of the two. He moves differently when stationed away from the ball and ranked in the 64th percentile or higher of pull-up three-point efficiency during each of his first three seasons, according to BBall Index . Murray has cleared the latter threshold just once.

The Pelicans are burning most of their space beneath the luxury tax by taking on an additional $3.5 million salary. They'll get it back in the inevitable Jordan Poole buyout. Phoenix is also sending New Orleans the requisite cash to make up the difference. Extra seconds are always useful, too.

Most importantly, the Pelicans are opening additional runway for sophomore Jeremiah Fears. Few consider him lead-guard material, but head of basketball operations Joe Dumars is "extremely high" on him, according to Dua. New Orleans can now hand him the reins unchecked while also carving out extra on-ball usage for Zion Williamson and Derik Queen.

Out: Jalen Green, 2027 second-round pick, $3.5 million cash

Chris Haynes of NBA TV reports that " there's some growing frustration " in the Suns' locker room because the "roster does not have a point guard that could organize" the offense. If only Phoenix had a 2033 first-round pick to dangle in higher-end deals.

Murray isn't the perfect solution. His three-point efficiency has cratered since leaving Atlanta, and he's attempting his fewest triples per 36 minutes since he was a member of the San Antonio Spurs. That gets dicey for a Suns offense already light on shooting.

Capable ball-handling takes precedence anyway. Phoenix is too reliant on Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks for make-something-out-of-nothing plays. Collin Gillespie would already be starting if the Suns knew what they were doing, but he's not the spiffiest passer and gets targeted constantly on defense.

Acquiring Murray adds another layer of playmaking to the offensive ranks. He has routinely averaged more rim assists per 75 possessions than any ball-handler currently on the roster and has crafty enough live-dribble vision to optimize touches for Khaman Maluach. He remains a defensive upgrade over Green, too.

The Suns can balk at including the second-rounder and $3.5 million. Green is younger. But he's a wild card and a below-average passer. Murray has the higher baseline and could cost Phoenix noticeably less if his unlikely incentives don't cash.

Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky ( @danfavale ), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes .