Dejounte Murray is back.
Well, almost. The former All-Star and former Atlanta Hawk will be on the NBA hardwood once again for the first time since January 31st, 2025, at some point in the next week, according to New Orleans Pelicans head coach James Borrego.
Murray suffered a devastating Achilles injury midway through the 2024-2025 NBA season, which was yet another catastrophe in a season riddled with poor roster health and a poor record for the Pelicans.
While the Pelicans struggled to stay above water last year, the ex-Pelican Dyson Daniels labeled the organization as cursed, and at the time, he had all the evidence in the world to back it up. While he soared his way to an inevitable MIP award, the Pelicans suffered blow after blow, landing squarely in 14th place in the West.
Now, the tables have turned. Daniels has returned to his shooting woes of old, and the Pelicans are getting back former All-Star Dejounte Murray from injury, with one thing on his mind: tallies in the win column.
Dejounte will be an instrumental piece for a team with no incentive to lose
The longstanding belief of Pelicans fans, obviously shared by the New Orleans GM Troy Weaver, was that their poor record last year was a direct result of having simply horrific roster health. I can label myself as a victim of this critical assumption. From top to bottom, this team looks like it has all the talent in the world.
Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Jordan Poole, Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, Saddiq Bey, and now adding back Dejounte Murray, on paper, has the look and feel of a playoff roster, every bit as much as any of the other teams out West.
Simply put, their chemistry hasn't worked out. One way or another, they seem to be missing just one more connective piece. Dejounte may just be that asset they need.
As a result of trading away their own first-round pick to the Hawks last summer, the Pelicans have absolutely zero reason to tank. While they likely won't be in the mix for any surprise play-in tournament magic this season with DJ's arrival, they might no longer be at the bottom of the lottery by year's end.
While other teams have desperately begun to tank for a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class, the Pelicans – who find themselves squarely in their midst, despite not owning their pick – will likely begin to rise in the standings with Dejounte in the lineup.
If there's one thing Hawks fans know about Dejounte, he's even more dangerous with a fire under him. He now has a chance to tank the team that gave up on him – every win that he earns for New Orleans is a stab in the gut for the Hawks. Every basket he scores, every dime he drops, every steal he nabs will no doubt be imprinted with one goal: to prove his doubters in Atlanta wrong.