The New Orleans Pelicans came into the 2024-25 season with high hopes of building on a 49-win season a year ago that saw them finish seventh in the West. Unfortunately, they have become this year’s cursed team when it comes to injuries, as all of their top six players have missed at least 13 games already this season and they find themselves 12-37 and 14th in the West currently.
On Friday, the Pelicans faced the Boston Celtics and saw another one of their stars go down with injury. After eight minutes of play, Dejounte Murray was injured going for an offensive rebound and immediately left for the sideline with what turned out to be a torn Achilles that will end his season, as reported and confirmed by Shams Charania, Chris Haynes, and Will Guillory. Murray arrived in New Orleans this summer in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks and was averaging 17.9 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.5 rebounds per game in his 30 appearances coming into Friday. Murray missed time to start the season after fracturing his hand in the team’s opener.
The Pelicans are already without Herbert Jones indefinitely due to a torn labrum in his shoulder and Brandon Ingram due to an ankle injury, and now add Murray to that list. Zion Williamson missed Friday’s game with a stomach illness and has only played in 13 games this season due to a lengthy absence from a hamstring injury. With the trade deadline approaching on Thursday, the Pelicans will have to figure out their long-term priorities and how those align with this season’s needs for a team ravaged by injuries and now without their starting point guard for the remainder of the season.
