Pelicans Bolster Roster By Adding Dejounte Murray

The Pelicans' trade with the Atlanta Hawks for Dejounte Murray became official on Sunday. In exchange for the guard, New Orleans sent Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., E.J. Liddell, Cody Zeller (via sign-and-trade), and two future first-round picks to the Hawks.

Murray spent the last two seasons in Atlanta, paired in the backcourt with All-Star Trae Young. Despite Murray averaging 21.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game during his time with the Hawks, it became increasingly clear that the Murray-Young experiment wasn't working.

Getting swept by the Thunder in the first round of last season's playoffs also exposed several issues within the Pelicans organization. New Orleans operated all season without a true point guard. CJ McCollum assumed those responsibilities but is much more productive in his true position as a shooting guard. Murray is a more natural fit in the primary guard role, having started at point guard in 2021-22 with San Antonio. He was named to the All-Star team that season, averaging 21.1 points, 9.2 assists, and 8.2 rebounds.

Having a new floor general should also help the Pelicans in late-game situations, an area they struggled mightily in last season. New Orleans was 0-24 when trailing heading into the fourth quarter and 2-14 in clutch situations. Murray hit three game-winners for the Hawks last year and will provide the Pelicans with a proven scoring option in high-pressure situations.

His style of play also complements their existing core of McCollum, Zion Williamson, and Brandon Ingram. However, it's expected that Ingram will be moved before the start of the 2024-25 season.

Murray's defensive prowess wasn't always on display in Atlanta, which is understandable given the team's overall poor defensive performance. He was a great defender with the Spurs and will provide an added boost to an already solid Pelicans defense that finished the regular season ranked No. 6.

Trading for Murray shows New Orleans' commitment to building a competitive team capable of making deep playoff runs. The Pelicans are +4000 to win the 2024-25 NBA title and are +2000 to win the West at BetMGM. They also have the third-shortest odds to win the Southwest Division at +350, behind the Mavericks (+100) and Grizzlies (+300).