The 6’8 forward is tall, agile, versatile, skillful–the perfect fit for the modern NBA–which has helped him emerge as the Pelicans’ best player this season. The rest of the league has taken notice too, with his name emerging in several trade rumors leading up to next month’s deadline.

Murphy’s numbers are far from ordinary too and cannot simply be attributed to him being a “good stats, bad team” player. He is averaging career-highs across the board with 22.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals through his first 39 games. This season, he has already posted two 40-point performances and six 30-point outings, while scoring fewer than 10 points in just two games—both coming early in the season last October.

What makes his statistics particularly impressive is the efficiency by which he achieves them. He is close to qualifying for the esteemed 50/40/90 club, with 50.3/38.9/89.9 (FG%/3PT%/FT%) shooting splits so far this season. This is far from a good player getting all the shots that he can take and an unlimited leash on a lottery-bound team. Had New Orleans been even a tad bit better than their current 10-34 record, the case for him to make it to this year’s All-Star team would have been a strong one.

Nonetheless, despite the poor construction of the Pelicans’ current roster, the outline of a decent team is beginning to form–especially if they decide to keep Murphy. He is still only 25 years old and is on a team-friendly deal that runs until 2029. His best years are still very much ahead of him and New Orleans is in a position to benefit directly from this.

Aside from Murphy, two-time NBA All-Star Zion Williamson is still on the roster and rookie Derik Queen has shown substantial potential over his first half season in the league. These three form a potent frontcourt that can be the foundation of a legitimate contender. The real challenge will be in finding the appropriate backcourt partners for them. Injured guard Dejounte Murray should fit alongside them in theory, though it remains to be seen if this can translate into reality.

No matter how bright their future may seem, at some point in these coming months, New Orleans will have to decide what it truly wants to be. There are too many projects and promising players on this team who do not necessarily fit with one another. The best way forward would be to restructure this team with players such as Murphy in mind, with a focus on fit rather than raw potential.

The smartest move now may be the simplest one: stop searching for answers elsewhere and build around the one already in hand.