Pelicans Injury Report vs. Kings: Will Dejounte Murray & Domantas Sabonis Play?

The New Orleans Pelicans will have a health advantage over the Kings on Monday.

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The New Orleans Pelicans have two more games before they have eight days off for the All-Star break. Coming off an impressive road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Pelicans have an excellent opportunity to build a winning streak and momentum as they host the Kings and the Heat for their final games before the break.

Not only do the Pelicans have a favorable schedule, but they also have a big health advantage. While most of the teams are dealing with long injury lists, the Pelicans are one of the healthiest teams in the league. Heading into Monday's clash against Sacramento at Smoothie King Center, the Pelicans only have Dejounte Murray listed as out on their injury report. In contrast, the Kings have five key contributors appearing on their injury report.

Dejounte Murray Remains Out Despite Returning to Practice

Murray returned to team practice over the weekend after missing over a year of action with a ruptured Achilles. He has been out since January 2025, and his return to action this season was in question. He still doesn't have a clear timetable, but he teased a return in February in a social media post two weeks ago, and the fact that he is practicing with the team is a good sign. Murray making his season debut after the All-Star break should be considered a real possibility.

The Kings, as the only team with a worse record than the Pels in the Western Conference, are dealing with a more extensive injury list. New addition De'Andre Hunter is out with an eye injury, while Keegan Murray is continuing his extended absence due to an ankle sprain. Malik Monk will miss the game with an illness, and Zach LaVine is sidelined with a finger injury. Domantas Sabonis, on the other hand, is questionable with back inflammation after missing the last two games.

Sacramento has very little interest in rushing any of its players back, especially since they have a ton of incentive not to win against the Pelicans. Unlike the Pels, the Kings have control of their own first-round pick in the draft and are desperate to maximize their chances of landing a top selection. They have had little trouble losing games, even when fully healthy this season, but seeing more egregious tanking from them in the final stretch of the season wouldn't be surprising.

This is the first of three games the Pelicans and the Kings will play this season. Facing a short-handed Sacramento side that has lost 12 in a row, this matchup couldn't have come at a better time for the Pelicans.