Trey Murphy III Listed Probable for Friday, Giving Pelicans Fans a Rare Glimmer of Hope

The New Orleans Pelicans might actually get to play a basketball game with one of their best wings on the floor. According to Underdog NBA, Trey Murphy III is officially listed as probable for Friday despite a lingering knee issue.

Seeing a probable tag next to a Pelicans player feels like finding a typo in a legal document. You almost do not believe it. Murphy has spent the last few years collecting injury designations like infinity stones, with knees, ankles, backs, and shoulders all keeping him in street clothes at various points.

"Underdog NBA reported: 'Trey Murphy III (knee) listed probable for Friday.'"

When he actually laces them up, the guy is a certified problem. Murphy is logging 33 minutes a night this season, putting up 14.9 points and 4.6 boards. That is a dip from his massive 21.5-point campaign last year, but he is still the exact kind of high-volume floor spacer that modern offenses desperately need to function.

Let us not forget this is the same guy who had the 2024-2025 Most Improved Player award practically gift-wrapped, only to lose his eligibility because he stalled out at 53 games played under the league's 65-game rule. The talent has never been the question. The question is always whether his body will let him stay on the court long enough to matter.

For anyone staring at a sportsbook or a fantasy lineup, a probable tag for a guy who plays over 30 minutes a night is a massive swing. Oddsmakers have to bake his shooting gravity into the point spread, and his presence completely changes how opposing defenses rotate. He is shooting nearly 38 percent from deep and averages over three made threes a game, which instantly tilts the math for player props.

Just remember that probable in the modern NBA is still a suggestion, not a promise. Assuming his knee holds up through shootaround, expect Murphy to slide right back into his usual heavy workload on Friday. If he plays, the Pelicans instantly become a much tougher out, but bettors should probably wait until tipoff before trusting the New Orleans medical staff.