When the New Orleans Pelicans acquired Trey Murphy III on the night of the NBA draft, the 17th overall pick wasn’t all that surprised based on his prior interaction with the team.
Murphy rose up draft boards rapidly during the pre-draft process after strong showings in interviews and workouts. He felt as though his workout with the Pelicans went very well and that he left quite an impression on the organization afterward.
It would appear that the feeling was mutual, as it turned out.
The 21-year-old recently revealed in an interview with Jeff White of VirginiaSports.com that New Orleans showed him the most love ahead of the draft.
(The Pelicans were) the team that showed me the most love during the entire draft process. My dad was telling my agent that he wants me to play for the team that loves me the most, and my agent said, ‘Well, he’ll be playing in New Orleans then.’
Murphy proved the Pelicans right, at least in the early going.
He was named to the All-NBA Summer League first team after averaging 16.3 points, seven rebounds. 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocked shots. Murphy also shot 55.8% from the field, including a blistering 44% from 3-point range.
Murphy was highly touted entering the draft given his shooting and ability to impact games without having the ball in his hands. He has the potential to develop into a strong 3-and-D option and that could become a perfect match in New Orleans.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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