The Washington Huskies men's basketball team has produced several NBA players over the last two decades.

One of those players has returned to action in the NBA after a year-plus-long absence.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray suited up for their 113-109 win against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

Murray played 25 minutes for the Pelicans and scored 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting while adding three assists, two rebounds and a steal.

Murray has been out since Jan. 31, 2025, after suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon. He averaged 17.5 points, 7.4 assists, 6.5 rebounds and two assists per game in 31 games for New Orleans in the 2024-25 season. It was his first year with the Pelicans after they acquired him in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

"What I’ve been through, what I go through, I use that all to fuel the fire," Murray said in an article written by Brett Martel for the Associated Press. " ... But for me, I love the game and I put myself in a position to be able to say I want to go out and play for not only my family and organization, but also the city of New Orleans. ... I feel like my best basketball is ahead of me."

Murray is a Seattle native who attended high school in Rainier Beach. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard was ranked as the best high school recruit in Washington and the 17th-best shooting guard in the class of 2015 according to 247Sports.

Murray played one season with his native Huskies from 2015-16. He was named second-team All-Pac-12. He was selected with the 29th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs.

Murray's return to the court Tuesday marked his 10th season in the NBA. During his decade with the Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Pelicans, he was named an All-Star and led the NBA in steals in '22 and was named All-Defensive second-team in 2018.

In Murray's six seasons with San Antonio, he set the franchise record in career triple-doubles (17), passing Hall of Famers, champions and All-Stars such as David Robinson, Alvin Robertson and Tim Duncan.

Murray was one of six UW players to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft from 2016-2020. The other players include: Marquese Chriss, Markelle Fultz, Matisse Thybulle, Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels. Of that crop of six players, four are still playing in the NBA.

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