The bad news is that the New Orleans Pelicans are 16-42 and in 14th place in the Western Conference.
The good news is that Dejounte Murray expects to make his 2025-26 season debut on Tuesday when the Pelicans face the Golden State Warriors at the Smoothie King Center.
Ahead of his 2025-26 debut, Murray made it clear that he wants to be out there for his team and New Orleans, regardless of where the team is in the standings.
"I'm not one of those guys like I'm paid, I could get an extra 6-7 months, or our team is 14th in the West. There are a lot of excuses for a chump to say 'I'm not playing'. I am the opposite of that… I want to represent of New Orleans"
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) February 23, 2026
— Dejounte Murray on New Orleans pic.twitter.com/NOB1LzV3IC
Murray made it clear that he didn’t make any negative comments about the organization while also saying he loves the fans and the city of New Orleans.
The Atlanta Hawks traded Murray to the Pelicans in June 2024. Murray then suffered a fractured hand in his debut for the Pelicans.
After his return, Murray played well, but he suffered a torn Achilles tendon on Jan. 31, 2025, against the Boston Celtics and has been out ever since.
In 2024-25, Murray averaged 17.5 points per game with 7.4 assists and 6.5 rebounds in 31 games before the injury, so his return is a big boost for New Orleans.
The Pelicans traded Brandon Ingram at the deadline, although they have gone 3-4 in February.
