New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III has been invited to the 2023 All-Star Slam Dunk contest, per ESPN's Andrew Lopez.
Murphy rounds out the list of Dunk Contest participants, which includes Portland Trail Blazers rookie wing Shaedon Sharpe, Houston Rockets forward KJ Martin, and NBA G League guard Mac McClung.
The 17th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Murphy has had a strong second season, averaging 12.5 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting from the field and 39.2 percent from 3-point range. Impressing with his development as an on-ball scorer, 14.2 percent of Murphy's field goal attempts have been dunks, of which he's made 52. That number is tied with the springy Larry Nance Jr. for a team-high, even outpacing the notoriously explosive Zion Williamson, who has 42 dunks this season.
hey @nba, put Trey Murphy III in the Slam Dunk Contest
– the New Orleans Pelicans pic.twitter.com/ObO0IAywTQ
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 21, 2023
Murphy's competition will be easy to beat though.
Sharpe possesses an otherworldly athleticism that seems to make him float on his dunk attempts. Martin, the son of former NBA forward Kenyon Martin, is even more bouncy than his dad. McClung doesn't lack for flair or athleticism, despite being just 6-foot-2.
Interestingly, whether it be Murphy or another player, the person who goes home with year's Slam Dunk award will be a first-time winner.
Last year's Slam Dunk contest winner, New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin, has only recently returned from a leg injury. After emerging victorious in 2021, Blazers guard Anfernee Simons hasn't participated in the last two contests, and he was a breath of fresh air when he won.
The 2023 All-Star Slam Dunk contest will take place on Feb. 18, at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.
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