The New Orleans Pelicans will enter the 2023-24 NBA season looking to prove that they can be big threats in the Western Conference given their depth and firepower. However, with the start of training camp less than a month away, New Orleans may wind up being without one of their key contributors on the wing in Trey Murphy III.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Murphy suffered a meniscus injury to his left knee during a workout and is set to undergo further testing. At this time, it is unclear whether or not the Pelicans recent first-round pick will require surgery.

Murphy, 23, was one of the league's most improved players a season ago and he stepped up into a huge role for the Pelicans in wake of Zion Williamson's ongoing injuries. In a total of 79 games, he averaged 14.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from three-point range.

The Pelicans have always been high on Murphy's potential and entering his third season with the team, he was expected to once again hold a significant role. While a meniscus injury will not necessarily sideline him for the entirety of the season, there would be a lot of uncertainty surrounding Murphy's availability should he have a surgical procedure done.

Boston Celtics big man Robert Williams III suffered a torn left meniscus during the 2021-22 season and he ended up missing close to a month of action before returning in the playoffs. His knee was not fully healed, though, and Williams underwent another procedure ahead of the start of the 2022-23 season that resulted in him missing the team's first 29 games.

Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard was recently diagnosed with a torn right meniscus in April and ended up having a clean up procedure done in June. The All-Star is expected to be ready for training camp and the start of the 2023-24 season.

Then there is Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, who has been through three different surgeries now after an original left meniscus surgery in January 2022. Ball's future in the league with the Bulls is now in doubt after he announced recently that he will miss the entirety of the upcoming year.

At this point, there is no telling how long Murphy could be out for until the results of his scans and tests come back. Nonetheless, this is a significant blow to the Pelicans, especially after Brandon Ingram missed 37 games and Zion Williamson missed 53 games due to injuries a year ago.

The Pelicans are scheduled to begin the 2023-24 season on October 25, as they will be on the road to take on the Memphis Grizzlies.