In the aftermath of Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs vanquishing the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 on the reigning NBA champions' home floor, Bill Simmons linked the latter to Trey Murphy III. He also floated the Boston Celtics as a potential landing spot.
"We assume he's probably going to get traded over these next three weeks. I think Boston is a possibility," said Simmons on his eponymously named podcast. "We thought whoever lost this matchup [between the Spurs and Thunder] was a possibility; there's a couple [of] other teams. But you have two, three weeks to trade for somebody like that."
As previously explored, pairing Murphy with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown represents one of the Celtics' best possible paths forward. It's a chance to acquire a wing with All-Star potential as he is about to enter his prime. Rather than breaking up their franchise cornerstones to bring Giannis Antetokounmpo on board, this is a chance to form the best trio of wings in the NBA.
Unfortunately for Boston, what happened in Oklahoma City on Saturday could prevent that dream scenario from becoming a reality.
The Thunder threaten the Celtics' offseason plans
Changes were coming for Sam Presti's club, no matter how this season ended. The maximum salary extensions for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will go into effect in 2026-27. Two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's supermax contract extension will hit the books in 2027-28. Their roster is about to get incredibly expensive.
There is a chance that Isaiah Hartenstein ends up on a new team as a result. However, that seems unlikely after how valuable he was to their efforts against Wembanyama.
As the Thunder sort out who's in, who will become a roster casualty, and map out how to return to the NBA summit, they are loaded with draft capital and young talent. That means they can outbid the Celtics for any target they want.
Oklahoma City, which has multiple first-round selections in the next three drafts, could decide to enter the Giannis sweepstakes. However, on the heels of a stinging Game 7 defeat, that still seems unlikely. A trade for Murphy might be more appealing, though.
Murphy would be perfect fit for Thunder
The 2024-25 title winners went 12/35 [34 percent] from beyond the arc in Saturday's loss to the Spurs. They could use another reliable shooter. Murphy's also a two-way wing. He ranked 12th in steals per game, among those who appeared in at least 50 tilts and averaged 25 minutes or more.
His arrival, coupled with the possibility of Jalen Williams, who did not play in Game 7, returning healthy next season, would put defenses in a pretzel as they try to slow down Gilgeous-Alexander.
So, while Murphy is an ideal target for Boston, the same is true for Oklahoma City. The Celtics either have to hope the Thunder don't pursue whoever is at the top of their wish list, or they'll have to pivot if Presti wants that individual badly enough.
What this illustrates is that the Thunder aren't just in their way because of the talent they already have, but also their ability to improve their roster compared to the rest of the league. Fittingly -- but also another matter of concern for Boston -- is that the other team that can say that just beat Oklahoma City to reach the NBA Finals.
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