Zion Williamson approves of Trey Murphy III increased offensive role this season: "No, I'm not worried about it at all, I support it"

If you weren’t the wiser, you’d be forgiven for thinking Trey Murphy III was the New Orleans Pelicans franchise player as they tipped off their preseason in Melbourne, Australia.

Finishing their first of two exhibition games down under with a game-high 18 points, the show started early for the versatile wing as he ran heavy pick-and-roll action with Pelicans’ new Center Kevon Looney early in the first quarter.

As franchise stars Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole watched from the sidelines, they were happy for Murphy to initiate the offense. Interestingly, it was by design, as Pelicans head coach Willie Green confirmed Murphy will have an elevated role this season.

Coaches’ orders

It came as a surprise to most in attendance that Murphy finished the matchup as the game’s high scorer, but Pelicans fans should be prepared to see that more often this season.

In the postgame, Basketball Network’s Senior NBA Writer Damien Peters asked head coach Willie Green about Murphy’s expanded role within the offense.

“He’s somebody that wants it, I want him to continue to mix it up. He’s such a great cutter, he’s a really good shooter off the move and off the catch, he can drive and finish, now adding that to his game offensively. And then competing on the defensive end and rebounding the ball, but that’s something that he’s worked on and something that he’ll add to his package,” he said after the Pelicans exhibition game in Melbourne.

Coming off a career year in which he averaged over 21 points per game, he’s touted to trump that production come the regular season as a more frequent primary ball handler and creator. Now, he’ll be tasked to maintain or increase that kind of output alongside a healthy Williamson and new addition Jordan Poole, both of whom demand their own high-end usage as well. It’s no easy task to juggle the offensive needs of capable facilitators simultaneously, and in this way, coach Green and his staff have their work cut out for them to make it as natural as possible.

Zion approves of Murhphys extended role

Taking the ball out of Zion’s hands is certainly bold, especially considering he’s the only previous All-Star on the roster. However, it’s evident that the coaching staff believes in Murphy’s upside, and perhaps it’s a smart long-term move as another layer to the Pelicans’ offense and what they’re trying to build.

Just to be sure, however, we needed to ask Zion if he’s comfortable with this adjustment to the offense. Hilariously, it’s safe to say he’s on board.

“Nah, it doesn’t worry me at all,” he said, smiling. “He definitely made that jump last year in his game in terms of showcasing it, so no I’m not worried at all. He put up 40, that’s for sure. No, I’m not worried about it at all. I support it.”

As Zion alludes to, Murphy had some big performances last season, including a 41-point explosion against the Denver Nuggets in February, and his teammate’s endorsement should be all anyone has to hear heading into this season.

All of a sudden, the dynamic duo of Jordan Poole and Zion has now turned into a three-headed monster to accommodate Murphy’s bigger role.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Zion Williamson approves of Trey Murphy III increased offensive role this season: “No, I’m not worried about it at all, I support it”

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