New Orleans Pelicans Guard Dejounte Murray on Track To Return to Action This Month

It has just passed one year since New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray ruptured his Achilles against the Boston Celtics.

There has not been a ton known about his recovery process, but recent reports suggest that he may be on track to return to the court this month.

Murray posted to Instagram on Saturday night a group of pictures of himself in a Pelicans uniform with the following caption:

"1 Year Ago Today!!! 🙏🏽 Fall Down 9 Times Get Up 10!!! 😈 See Yall Next Month!!! 😤 #DM5🖤"

That alone, given that it was posted at the end of January, suggested a February return. That was followed up with a report from NBA on Prime insider Chris Haynes's Thread account stating that Murray will indeed return to action at some point this month.

New Orleans acquired Murray back in July of 2024 in exchange of Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller and two future firsts. It was a haul that has completely backfired for the Pelicans.

In the 31 games that Murray played last year, he averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists with two steals per game. The real issue was the 39.3/29.9/82.3 shooting split. New Orleans was a -0.2 net rating with him on the court.

It'll be good to see the 29-year-old return to action after a scary injury that has derailed careers in the past. The question is now just whether or not that return will happen in a Pelicans uniform.

New Orleans has reportedly been shopping him around to offload his contract, and the desire for a separation is mutual as Murray wants a new home.

Murray is on the books for $30.8 million this season, $32.8 million next year and has a $30.8 million player option for 2027/2028. He is the third-highest paid player on the team and has played just 31 games in the uniform since being acquired.

The next date of significance for him is the February 5 trade deadline. If he doesn't get moved, it'll be interesting to see if that return still happens.