Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray has torn his right Achilles tendon, ending his 2024-25 season, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (X link).
Murray suffered the injury in the first quarter of Friday’s loss to Boston. After driving to the basket and attempting a floater, Murray landed awkwardly and fell to the floor without being hit, grabbing the back of his right leg (X video link). At the next stoppage in play, he limped off the court and into the locker room.
The Pelicans have yet to officially confirm the diagnosis. Head coach Willie Green told reporters after the game that Murray would undergo imaging and the team would provide an update after seeing the results (X link via Marc J. Spears of Andscape). However, Shams Charania of ESPN (X link) has also heard that it’s an Achilles tear for the New Orleans guard.
It has been a nightmarish first year as a Pelican for Murray, who was acquired by the club in an offseason trade with Atlanta. As William Guillory of The Athletic notes (via X), the 28-year-old left the team right before the start of the season when his mother suffered a stroke, then broke his left hand in the first game of the regular season.
Murray returned after an 18-game absence following his hand fracture, but his shooting percentage of 39.3% from the field through 30 games entering Friday was easily a career low, and the Pelicans — plagued all season by injuries affecting several starters and rotation players — are off to a 12-37 start.
While this season is a lost cause in New Orleans, there’s also no guarantee Murray will be ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign, given the typical recovery timeline for an Achilles tear. He has two more guaranteed seasons left on his contract after this season, with a player option for 2027-28.
With Murray unavailable for the rest of the season, the Pelicans figure to lean more heavily on CJ McCollum for ball-handling duties, with reserve guard Jose Alvarado also playing a more substantial role. Alvarado took Murray’s place in the lineup to open the second half on Friday.
New Orleans won’t be eligible to apply for a disabled player exception to replace Murray, since the deadline to apply for a DPE passed on Jan. 15.
