The Detroit Pistons are meeting the Los Angeles Lakers at every turn and disrupting the offseason momentum they're attempting to build. That process began when it was reported that the Pistons are preparing to make a "competitive" offer for Lakers free agent Austin Reaves.
It's unfortunately continued with Detroit expressing interest in one of the players Los Angeles has consistently been linked to as an ideal trade target: Trey Murphy III.
Murphy, 25, has emerged as one of the best young wings the NBA has to offer. He's a three-level scoring threat who has displayed intriguing defensive instincts, a willingness to create for others, and the ability to play both with and without the ball in his hands.
It should perhaps thus come as no surprise that the Pistons, fresh off of a 60-win regular season and a second-round exit from the playoffs, are interested in trading for Murphy.
Per Marc Stein of The Stein Line:
"League sources say that the Pelicans have not offered Murphy anywhere and that this is the first time their new front office regime headed by Joe Dumars has been truly willing to field offers for Murphy. As one team interested in Murphy put it to me this week: "They want a lot." Two teams known to have expressed interest in the 25-year-old sharpshooter, I'm told, are Detroit and Indiana."
Though the Lakers may struggle to meet the Pelicans' reportedly steep asking price, Murphy remains a dream trade target who could potentially slot in perfectly alongside Luka Doncic.
Pistons eyeing Austin Reaves, Trey Murphy III in potentially big offseason
Murphy is coming off of a 2025-26 season during which he averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.0 offensive rebound, and 3.2 three-point field goals made per game. He did so while shooting efficiently, converting attempts at a clip of .470/.379/.886.
It was the second consecutive season during which the well-rounded wing scorer averaged at least 21.2 points per game—a promising sign that he can sustain that production as his career progresses.
In terms of how that might translate to Los Angeles, Murphy checks several pivotal boxes. He's a 6'8" wing who offers quality value on defense, as well as an off-ball marksman who shot 42.6 percent on catch-and-shoot threes.
Unfortunately, the Pistons appear to be beating the Lakers to the punch as they prepare to at least explore how realistic a trade for Murphy would be.
Compounded by the fact that Detroit is willing to pay Reaves top dollar, a dream Lakers offseason could be blown up by a single team. Even if they land just one of the two, it would deprive Los Angeles of an opportunity to build a top-tier perimeter.
Other teams will likely express interest in Murphy and Reaves, but the paths of two teams that lost in the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs appear to be intertwining.
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