The New Orleans Pelicans traded for Dejounte Murray before the season in hopes he could get their team over the playoff hump. Instead, he’s been the unluckiest player in a season full of awful injury luck.
During a 118-116 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday night, Murray suffered a torn Achilles, per multiple reports, while trying to rebound his own missed shot. He left the court and was later diagnosed with the injury, which will keep him out for the rest of this season and almost certainly a large portion of 2025-26.
The Pelicans traded three players and two first-round picks to add Murray to their core of Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III, but that plan got derailed on opening night when Murray fractured his hand. Ingram has played only 18 games this season, Williamson only 13, and the trio of Murray, Williamson and Ingram didn’t play together once all season.
Despite missing so many players, the Pelicans took the Celtics down to the wire, with Boston escaping only after a Jayson Tatum game-winner with 0.2 seconds left.
The game was another heartbreaking glimpse of what could have been in a healthy season for New Orleans. They got 40 points from Murphy and a solid 13-rebound outing from rookie Yves Missi. Still, the Pels fell to 12-37, with their immediate plans likely to revolve around getting under the luxury tax.
This was supposed to be the year when the Pelicans got out of the first round of the playoffs. The only place they have ended up going was the trainer’s room.
