Dejounte Murray Giving Pelicans Everything They Have Been Asking For

Dejounte Murray’s return to the court after more than a year on Tuesday seemed much more than a starter reinserted back in the lineup for the New Orleans Pelicans. It seemed like a cultural shift in play and accountability for those who take the court with him. Muray has been impressive since returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon injury he suffered on January 31st, 2025, against the Boston Celtics. Not only is his play impressive, but his attitude towards the rest of this “lost” season is noteworthy.

Murray took to social media on Wednesday to reveal he believes the team still has plenty to play for despite having one of the worst records in the Western Conference. “Can we treat every game like a championship game and win win win? Yes. Can we get in them last spots in the play in??? Duhhhh.” While New Orleans is a long shot to make the Play-In Tournament at 18-42, the Pelicans are enjoying a small sample size of why they pulled the trigger before the start of last season to bring the former All-Star to town.

Dejounte Murray is BACK. 🔥

pic.twitter.com/1lc3e72Unl
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 25, 2026

Dejounte Murray Has Exceeded All Expectations in Pelicans Return

New Orleans traded away Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, Jr., E.J. Liddell, and two future first-round picks to acquire the two-way guard. Murray was coming off a season where he averaged a career-high in points (22.6), while also averaging 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game. The Seattle native also showed a good knack for clutch performances, something the Pelicans have struggled with for years. In his final season with the Hawks, Murray made three game-winning shots and had the third-highest points average in clutch time in the entire league. Pairing him with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum seemed like a formidable foursome in the NBA.

That dream was short-lived after Murray fractured his left hand during the opening game of the season, which caused him to miss more than a month of basketball. He returned to play in 30 games before suffering a devastating Achilles injury at the end of January.

His long road to recovery paid off with his return on Tuesday, helping lead a Pelicans victory with 13 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and a steal in 25 minutes of action. His clutch play was huge down the stretch of that tightly contested game. At the 1:04 mark, he drove right and finished a high-off-the-glass layup to put the Pelicans up by two possessions. He later iced the game at the free-throw line with nine seconds left. He then followed that performance up with an impressive road showing on Thursday evening at Utah.

Murray scored 17 points, dished out 9 assists, and had four steals in New Orleans’ 129-118 win over the Jazz. The former first-round pick has been a little sloppy with the basketball, committing 11 turnovers in his last two games, but some of that is a by-product of not playing for the last year. His impact has definitely been felt through his defensive disruption and the pace at which he controls the game offensively for the Pelicans, two things the team has lacked most of the year.

Interim head coach James Borrego recently made a lineup switch by inserting veteran center DeAndre Jordan in the starting lineup to replace rookie center Derik Queen for defensive purposes. Murray’s ball pressure alongside Herb Jones on the perimeter can help the Pelicans’ bigs tremendously by not having to deal with constant off-the-dribble paint pressure from opposing guards.

Murray's return is a welcome sign for a team that hasn’t had many bright spots this season. Whether he is building chemistry for this team or auditioning for his next remains to be seen. The Seattle native is due approximately $32 million next season, and alongside Jordan Poole’s $30+ million contract, makes an expensive backcourt in New Orleans. Many figure the Pelicans will deal at least one of the guards to clear salary off the books, though Murray contends he likes it in New Orleans and enjoys playing here.

the fans 🤝 Dejounte Murray pic.twitter.com/DGsEFjhIk0
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 25, 2026

While making the Play-In Tournament is probably out of reach, these final 22 games give Murray a chance to play himself back into shape and build chemistry with Zion Williamson and the rest of his teammates. If these last two games are any indication, the "Dejounte Era" in New Orleans might be arriving a year late, but it’s here with a vengeance.