Dejounte Murray Injury Update Complicates Pelicans' Trade Deadline Plans

An update on Dejounte Murray's return to the court could dismantle the team's plan before the deadline.

Jan 27, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) drives to the basket past Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher (25) during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The NBA Trade Deadline is about a month away, and insiders suggest that the New Orleans Pelicans would be “sellers” at the deadline. New Orleans is currently 8-29 on the season, marking the worst record in the Western Conference. Names like Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray, and Jose Alvarado, among others, have been reported as players who could be traded by the deadline to help the team recoup future assets.

Murray has yet to make his debut this season after rupturing his Achilles tendon last year. Interim head coach James Borrego told reporters on Sunday that Murray is not quite ready to make a return to the court. “He’s making a lot of progress,” Borrego said, “We hope to get him back in our building here soon. He’s doing a lot of work getting ready to get back here. I say in the next month we’ll have a little bit more clarity on where he’s at. But he’s made a lot of progress. Significant progress.”

It’s seemingly more likely than not that Murray will play this season, but it will almost certainly be after February’s trade deadline. That means the Pelicans surely won’t be able to offload the former All-Star guard this season. No rival front office is willing to part with significant assets for a player whose primary weapon—explosive lateral quickness—is currently a giant question mark. The Seattle native played in 31 games last year for the Pelicans, averaging 17.5 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.5 rebounds per contest.

Dejounte Murray key stats: 17.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 7.4 apg, 2.0 spg pic.twitter.com/EIHAEtRJ4n

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 25, 2025

Odds of Pelicans' Trading Dejounte Murray Diminish After Latest Injury Update

New Orleans gave up significant assets to acquire Murray in 2024. Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., and two first-round picks were sent to the Atlanta Hawks in the deal to bring him to the bayou. At the time, the move seemed like a no-brainer to pair his skill set with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, the foursome never played a regular-season game together. Murray fractured his hand in the team’s season opener and missed the next 17 games. He returned to play the next 30 games before suffering the season-ending injury.

A trade for Murray now would yield next to pennies compared to what New Orleans gave up to get him. There are also financial implications involved with the trade back in 2024. That move triggered a 15% trade kicker bonus with the move, ballooning Murray’s cap hit to roughly $30.8 million for the 2025-26 season. With the addition of Jordan Poole this past offseason, the Pelicans will have nearly $68 million committed to the backcourt of Poole and Murray, even though the pair have yet to play a game together. The emergence of rookie Jeremiah Fears makes the decision even more complicated if and when Murray comes back.

The Pelicans must embrace the youth movement, given their basement status in the league. Fears has emerged during the first half of this season, averaging 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. Bringing Murray back would crowd up the backcourt with Fears, Poole, and Alvarado. Not playing Murray would create zero value for him this offseason, until teams could see the two-way player on the court. New Orleans needs to restock their assets chest, with next year’s first-round pick going to the Atlanta Hawks and the team not having any second-round picks until 2030.

Borrego was noncommittal about whether Murray would play this season. “I can’t say for sure,” Borrego said. “I can’t go there. We just don’t know until we see him live on the court. That would be the goal, but I can’t say for sure. We’ll just have to see for sure once he’s back in our building and once we get our eyes on him. And once he gets on the court. It’s going to be a collective decision. What’s best for Dejounte moving forward.”

The Pelicans are in a "wait and see" holding pattern. Unless Murray returns in the next 14 days and looks like an All-Defensive Teamer immediately, he is likely staying in New Orleans through the end of the season.