Dejounte Murray Requests Trade from New Orleans Pelicans
Dejounte Murray’s brief, turbulent stay in New Orleans is already hurtling toward the exit.
The New Orleans Pelicans guard has requested a trade, and his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, is now working with team officials to find a way out, sources confirmed Friday. The franchise didn’t bother to downplay it.
“Today, Dejounte Murray's representatives informed us of his request to be traded,” the Pelicans said in a statement. “We will evaluate potential trade opportunities that are in the best interest of our organization.”
No denial. No spin. Just a public acknowledgement that one of their marquee additions from 2024 wants to move on.
A Fractured Partnership
This was supposed to be a long-term pairing. New Orleans paid heavily to get Murray from the Atlanta Hawks in June 2024, sending two first-round picks plus Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr. and E.J. Liddell to Atlanta. At the time, it looked like the Pelicans were pushing their chips in around a prime-level guard coming off a 2023-24 season of 22.5 points, 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Instead, the relationship has unraveled in just over a year.
The Pelicans have stumbled to a 4-8 start and are riding a four-game losing streak, punctuated by a 145-111 humiliation at home to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. Murray hasn’t been on the floor to help stop the bleeding; he’s out with a left ankle sprain and was ruled unavailable for Friday night’s NBA Cup game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The losing has sharpened every edge. So has the conversation around Murray’s impact.
After the latest defeat, an account on social media pointed out that New Orleans is 3-0 without Murray this season and 1-8 when he plays. Murray fired back with a pointed, now-deleted response: “From what's going on INSIDE, this sounds like someone hit you to say this! THE 'SABOTAGE' IS REAL!”
The tweet vanished. The sentiment did not. It offered a rare public glimpse into just how strained things have become “inside.”
Injuries, Decline and Frustration
Murray is 30 now, and the last three seasons have been brutal on his body. He has appeared in only 54 games over that stretch, a run marked by a broken hand in the 2024 season opener and a ruptured right Achilles tendon in January 2025 that ended his season.
New Orleans never really got the version of Murray it thought it was trading for.
With the Pelicans, he has averaged 16.6 points, 6.6 assists and 5.9 rebounds, while shooting 41.9% from the field. Respectable numbers on paper, but a step down from his All-Star peak in 2022 and a far cry from the offensive engine they believed could elevate the franchise.
This season, the slide has continued. Murray is averaging just 13.4 points per game, his efficiency and explosiveness clearly still searching for their old levels after repeated setbacks.
The Pelicans’ on-court struggles and his own diminished production have created a combustible mix. New Orleans, once eager to build around him, now faces the reality of a high-salaried guard who wants out and a roster that has yet to find any rhythm.
High Stakes for Player and Team
The financial stakes are significant. Murray is making $32.8 million this season and holds a player option for $30.8 million next year. Any team trading for him will be weighing not just his medical history and current form, but also the likelihood that he picks up that option or seeks a new deal.
For New Orleans, this is about salvaging value from a major gamble that has gone sideways. Two first-round picks and multiple young pieces went out the door to bring Murray in. Now the front office must try to recoup assets while navigating a market that knows the player wants to leave and that the Pelicans are under pressure.
For Murray, it’s about relevance. Sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania that he has made it clear he wants to play a key role in meaningful basketball elsewhere. After years of injuries, an All-Star nod in 2022 and a recent stretch of inconsistency, he is chasing a situation where he can matter again on a big stage.
The Pelicans say they will “evaluate potential trade opportunities that are in the best interest of our organization.” Murray has signaled he’s ready to move on. Somewhere between those two positions lies the next chapter of his career — and the verdict on whether New Orleans’ bold bet becomes a footnote or a full-blown cautionary tale.
