Dejounte Murray's Newest Post Ignites Speculation on Future in New Orleans

The former All-Star guard seems close to a return, but will it be in New Orleans?

Dec 27, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) signals as he dribbles against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first quarter at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

When the New Orleans Pelicans traded for former All-Star Dejounte Murray, it was seen as an aggressive move to help the franchise compete in the Western Conference. Fast forward nearly 18 months, and many speculate whether Murray’s tenure in New Orleans has already come to an end. The Seattle native has yet to play this season after rupturing his Achilles tendon nearly one year to the day.

Murray has been hard at work rehabbing his injury in preparation for a return to the court, often posting social media videos of his progress. The team has given no definitive word on his return, but a recent Instagram post by Murray himself gives a glimpse of a return date. On Saturday night, the former first-round pick reflected on the year since his injury and ended the post by saying, “See Yall Next Month!!!”

Will Dejounte Murray's Return Be in a Pelicans Jersey?

With the trade deadline less than a week away, it remains to be seen whether that return will be in a Pelicans uniform or not. New Orleans has the second-worst record in the Western Conference at 13-38 and does not have their first-round pick in next year’s draft. That selection now belongs to the Atlanta Hawks as part of the deal that sent Derik Queen to the Big Easy. The Pelicans' primary focus should be rebuilding draft capital for the future, as the team does not own any second-round picks until 2030.

New Orleans' initial deal to acquire Murray cost them Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, Jr., E.J. Liddell, and two future first-round picks. The idea of pairing Murray alongside Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum seemed appealing at the time, given Murray’s dynamic ability on both ends of the court. The dream never materialized as Murray fractured his hand on the opening night of the regular season and missed the next 17 games.

Murray returned to the court and showed promise before his season-ending Achilles injury in January. The two-way guard averaged 17.5 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.5 rebounds last season before the injury. New Orleans’ dilemma now is trying to offload some egregious contracts on its books. Murray is due $32 million next season and has a player option for $30 million the following year. Many rival general managers would be hesitant to pull the trigger on a player coming off a significant injury without seeing his return.

That may force the Pelicans to hold on to Murray past the deadline, allow him to return to showcase his skills for the remainder of the year, and then see if a deal can be done in the offseason. His fellow teammate Jordan Poole may be on the trade block as well, with the Pelicans making him a healthy scratch for the third straight game. Murray and Poole are owed a combined $66 million in salary next season, but have yet to play a game together this year.

New Orleans will have a resolution on Murray’s future with the Pelicans fairly quickly. The trade deadline is fast approaching on February 5th, and the team must be smart in making decisions to properly reshape its future.