Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray breaks silence on surprising trade to Hawks

Dejounte Murray knew there was a good chance he would be traded to the Atlanta Hawks after hearing his name in rumors for months, but few expected him to land in the Big Easy. For those waiting for the fireworks to begin Sunday with the start of NBA free agency, they got a big boost courtesy of the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

By bringing in Murray and adding an interesting core, the Pels are making their presence felt in the Western Conference. Although Brandon Ingram’s future in New Orleans is uncertain, this move continues to maximize Zion Williamson’s talents and also gives CJ McCollum a very productive fullback partner.

Murray likely needs some time to digest this big change, but he seems excited about his new NBA home based on his social media activity. The 2022 All-Star posted “Nola” and the city’s area code “#504” to accompany some smiley face emojis with horns, via ClutchPoints. He’s ready to join this deep team and help take it to the next level.

As currently constructed, it has a strong chance of being the franchise’s best team since moving to New Orleans. The Pelicans went 49-33 last season but lost Williamson to injury in the NBA Play-In Tournament, leaving them with little hope against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.

While health is always a concern for this team, the addition of a two-way guard like Dejounte Murray gives head coach Willie Green even more high-end talent to trust his starting five on. Ideally, this trade will prove far more successful than the Hawks’ experiment.

Dejounte Murray should theoretically fit better with the Pelicans than the Hawks

When Atlanta acquired Murray in a blockbuster deal in June 2022, expectations skyrocketed. The team was just a year removed from a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals and had Trae Young and a host of young players whose potential could be further unlocked with the NBA’s steals leader in 2022.

Murray’s versatile talents were supposed to get the Hawks back into the upper echelon of the conference and keep them there for years to come. Instead, the franchise regressed and found itself in an unfortunate situation in the play-in round, also known as NBA purgatory. He failed to mesh with Young on the court as expected, but Murray could be the perfect complement for the Pelicans.

The 27-year-old can be an effective playmaker for Zion Williamson, and perhaps Brandon Ingram if he stays in New Orleans, while disrupting opposing backs on both ends of the floor. Despite Atlanta’s problems (36-46), he still had an impressive campaign, averaging a career-high 22.5 points per game, shooting a respectable 45.9% and 36.3% on three-point shots.

Murray also has 6.4 assists per game, which surpasses the team mark set by Ingram last season. His 111 steals in 2023-24 should match the 105 recorded by defensive pest Herb Jones, forcing opponents to be extremely cautious with the ball against New Orleans.

In theory, this addition should make the Pelicans a truly formidable foe in the West. Yes, the same thing was said about the Hawks in the East when they traded for Dejounte Murray, but in hindsight, the red flags were there. If all goes according to plan next season, both the player and the team should be in a better place than they were before Friday.