After just two seasons, the Trae Young-Dejounte Murray experiment is over. In what was one of the first major splashes of the offseason, the Hawks are trading guard Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., EJ Liddell, and two first-round picks. This also comes nearly a year after Murray and Atlanta agreed on a 4-year, $120 million extension.
Murray was originally drafted by the San Antonio Spurs out of the University of Washington in 2016. He would develop into an All-Star caliber player and an All-NBA defender. In the 2021-22 season, he would statistically have his best season across the board, averaging 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 9.2 assists. He would also lead the league in steals with 2 per game.
This past season saw Murray having to step up when star point guard Trae Young missed a good chunk of the season with injuries. Along with having the strongest offensive output of his career, he was one of the only two players in the NBA to have 1500 points, 500 assists, and 100 steals (Nikola Jokic) as well as joining Dallas’ Luka Doncic as being the only two point guards to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in the last three seasons.
The Hawks would unfortunately miss the playoffs despite Dejounte Murray’s fantastic play down the stretch.
What Does Dejounte Murray Bring to New Orleans?
Dejounte Murray is someone who can do it all on the court. He can pass, he can defend, and he can score at will when need be. He is also one of the most clutch players in the entire NBA, hitting 40 shots in the clutch (5th in the NBA) and three go-ahead buckets within 5 or fewer seconds in the 4th quarter/overtime (tied with Stephen Curry for most in the NBA). Meanwhile, the Pelicans were one of the worst teams in the clutch, being 0-22 when behind entering 4th quarters.
The Pels have lacked a true point guard option which Dejounte Murray provides. CJ McCollum, who is typically a scoring guard, had to be the point guard in stretches. Also, Brandon Ingram being somewhat of a “point forward” when needed.
It remains to be seen how the Pelicans lineup will look come post-free agency, with forward Brandon Ingram being a name consistently brought up in trade rumors. However, a lineup with Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Ingram, and Zion Williamson could create matchup issues for teams around the league, especially when you factor in guys like Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones. There’s plenty of defense and scoring to go around here.
The Pelicans made a playoff appearance last season after winning 49 games, being ousted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 4-game sweep. They are a team poised to break out and become one of the best young teams in the league. Dejounte Murray brings you someone with a veteran presence and someone who is constantly improving his game. He could be the miss that puts them over the top.
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