Pelicans vs. Sixers Injury Report: Latest on Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy & Joel Embiid

Dejounte Murray is closer than ever to making his season debut.

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans stumbled out of the gate after the All-Star break, suffering a disappointing blowout loss to Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. They don't have too much time before they have to attempt to turn things around as they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

For the second straight game, the Pelicans will be without Yves Missi and Micah Peavy. More importantly, however, Trey Murphy will also remain sidelined for Saturday's occasion with a shoulder contusion. This will be a major issue for the Pelicans on the offensive end. Without Murphy, the Pelicans were an embarrassing 4/25 from three against the Bucks. Bryce McGowens will likely get another start in Murphy's absence. He has been a nice story for the Pelicans this season, but he is a significant downgrade in terms of shooting and offensive ability.

Dejounte Murray Upgraded to Doubtful for the First Time All Season

However, it's not all bad news for the Pelicans. For the first time this season, Dejounte Murray was upgraded to doubtful ahead of Saturday's clash. The veteran guard has yet to make his season debut and has been sidelined since rupturing his Achilles tendon in January 2025. While he is still unlikely to suit up, Murray is clearly heading in the right direction and should make his return very soon.

Jordan Poole will be the main beneficiary of the Pelicans' absences. The struggling guard has been out of the rotation in recent weeks, but saw action on Friday for the first time since January 23. He had three points in 1/6 shooting from the field in 25 minutes, so whether James Borrego will keep him in the rotation remains to be seen.

The Sixers are dealing with more important absences. Joel Embiid will miss his fourth straight game as he is dealing with a right knee injury and right shin soreness. This will be his 25th missed game of the season.

Fellow All-Star Paul George is serving a 25-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy. This will only be his ninth straight missed game. Kelly Oubre Jr., who was on the injury report with a left knee injury, will be available to play.

Philadelphia has been struggling recently, losing three straight games by double digits. They are beginning a three-game road trip in New Orleans, so they will have all the incentive in the world to start with a win over the Pelicans to stop their skid.