Trey Murphy III Urges Caution on Summer League Overreactions
Pelicans Star Shares Personal Experience
The NBA Summer League has wrapped, and for the second straight year, the New Orleans Pelicans finished without a win in Las Vegas. Despite featuring two projected 2025 lottery picks, the team went 0–5, joining the Orlando Magic as the only winless squads this year.
But Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III isn’t worried — and he doesn’t think fans should be either.
Murphy recently appeared on the Young Man and the Three podcast with Tommy Alter and Jabari Smith. He discussed why Summer League results should not be taken too seriously, especially when evaluating young talent.
“My first Summer League, I played pretty well, I was First Team All-Summer League,” Murphy said. “But obviously it didn’t matter because I didn’t have a good game until February of the next year… I played great Summer League and then didn’t play good for another 50 games. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t mean anything.” — Trey Murphy and Jabari Smith talk about the conclusions people make during NBA Summer League pic.twitter.com/fqdLgLGwR5
— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) July 31, 2025
Understanding the Context
Murphy pointed out that Summer League teams have minimal time to prepare. Rosters are assembled quickly, and players typically get just a few practices before playing competitive games over a 10-day span.
“I feel like a lot of people try to jump to conclusions and make assessments on kids in Summer League and it’s just too early,” he said.
For the Pelicans, the challenge was real. Derik Queen appeared in only three games due to injury, and Jeremiah Fears shot just 18.2% from three while averaging five turnovers per game.
Murphy’s Own Journey
In 2022, Murphy averaged 26.5 points, 7 rebounds, and 2.5 steals in just two Summer League games while shooting 50% from the field. Despite that performance, he didn’t score double digits in a regular-season game until his 37th appearance. His true breakout came in Game 47, when he dropped 32 points against the Hornets.
Now, Murphy is a core part of the Pelicans’ rotation. He averaged 21.2 points per game last season before an injury sidelined him. This summer, the team rewarded him with a four-year, $112 million contract that begins this upcoming season.
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