New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III underwent a successful partial meniscectomy and received a biologic injection in his left knee on Thursday afternoon, the team announced. Murphy is expected to miss the next 10-to-12 weeks and will not be available for the start of the 2023-24 season.
This injury was first reported on Tuesday and the Pelicans were unsure if their recent first-round pick was going to need surgery. Upon further imagining, the team and Murphy have decided it would be best for him to be shut him down indefinitely and for the partial meniscus tear to be addressed.
Murphy, 23, is coming off his best season in the league with New Orleans. With All-Stars Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson dealing with injuries all year long, Murphy stepped up into a much larger role with the Pels, averaging 14.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game over the course of 79 appearances during the 2022-23 season.
While this injury is unfortunate, especially given the timing, the good news for the Pelicans and their fans is that Murphy is expected to make a full recovery. The recovery timeline laid out suggests that he will resume basketball activities at some point between November 16th and 30th. However, his return in an actual game won't likely come until some point in December.
With Murphy out of the lineup to begin the year, Naji Marshall and Larry Nance Jr. figure to see their roles expand at either forward position. Second-year man Dyson Daniels could also see his overall minutes increase coming off the bench as well.
The Pelicans finished last season with a 42-40 record and they failed to make the playoffs, losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the play-in tournament. They will begin the 2023-24 season on October 25 when they go on the road to take on the Memphis Grizzlies.