Dejounte Murray knew there was a good chance he would be traded from the Atlanta Hawks after hearing his name in rumors for months on end, but not many people were expecting him to land in the Big Easy. For those waiting for the fireworks to begin on Sunday with the start of NBA free agency, they received quite the jolt courtesy of the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night.
By landing Murray and adding to an intriguing core, the Pels are making their presence known in the Western Conference. Although Brandon Ingram's future in New Orleans is uncertain, this move continues to maximize the talents of Zion Williamson and also gives CJ McCollum a highly productive backcourt mate.
Murray likely needs some time to process the big change, but he appears to be stoked about his new NBA home based on his social media activity. The 2022 All-Star posted “Nola”and the city's area code “#504” to go along with smiling face with horns emojis, via ClutchPoints. He is ready to join this deep squad and help it ascend to the next level.
As is currently constructed, this has a strong chance to be the franchise's best team since it moved to New Orleans. The Pelicans went 49-33 last season but lost Williamson to injury in the NBA Play-In Tournament, leaving them with little hope against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round of the playoffs.
While health is always a concern for this squad, bringing in a two-way guard like Dejounte Murray provides head coach Willie Green with even more high-end talent to trust in his starting five. Ideally, this trade will prove to be far more successful than the Hawks' experiment.
Dejounte Murray should theoretically fit better with Pelicans than Hawks
When Atlanta acquired Murray in a blockbuster deal in June of 2022, expectations soared. The team was only one year removed from a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals and boasted Trae Young and plenty of young pieces whose potential could become further unlocked with the presence of the 2022 NBA steals leader.
Murray's well-rounded skill set was supposed to lift the Hawks back into the upper echelon of the conference and keep them there for the years to come. Instead, the franchise regressed and found an unfortunate home in the Play-In round, also known as NBA purgatory. He did not mesh with Young on the court as intended, but Murray might be the perfect compliment for the Pelicans.
The 27-year-old can be an effective playmaker for Zion Williamson, and possibly Brandon Ingram if he remains in New Orleans, while also disrupting opposing guards on both sides of the floor. Despite Atlanta's troubles (36-46), he still enjoyed an impressive campaign, averaging a career-high 22.5 points per game on respectable 45.9 percent shooting from the field and 36.3 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Murray also dished out 6.4 assists per contest, which tops the team-high mark set by Ingram last season. His 111 steals in 2023-24 should pair well with the 105 that defensive pest Herb Jones recorded, forcing opponents to be extremely careful with the ball when facing New Orleans.
In theory, this addition should make the Pelicans a truly formidable foe in the West. Yes, the same was said about the Hawks in the East when they traded for Dejounte Murray, but in hindsight, the red flags were present. If all goes as expected next season, both player and team should be better off than they were before Friday.
Follow Us
Subscribe