3 Ideal Free Agents New Orleans Pelicans Should Target After Latest Injury

The New Orleans Pelicans may need to head back into the free agent market after their massive offseason addition suffered an injury in the debut.

Oct 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) shoots a jump shot against Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith (7) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans season started in a way that encapsulates the last few years: a massive offseason addition suffered an injury that will keep him out for the foreseeable future.

Star shooting guard Dejounte Murray was dealt a broken hand in the opener against the Chicago Bulls and could now be out from weeks to months.

Murray wasn't very efficient from the field, but still ended up with a solid debut. The guard put up 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Coming just two boards short of a triple double is impressive and it will hurt to lose him.

The injury will likely have players like Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado end up with larger roles in the offense, but the Pelicans could also dip into the free agent pool to supplement their roster with the new opening.

Here are three players that would make sense for New Orleans to contact if they decide to go that route:

Markelle Fultz

It's actually very shocking that Fultz is even available at this point. While he may not be filling up stat sheets at the rate a first overall selection is expected to, he can definitely contribute to winning basketball.

He's dealt with injuries throughout his unfortunate career, but saw a bit of a resurgence with the Orlando Magic. He proved that he can hold a depth role on a team and contribute.

During his five season with the Magic, he averaged 11.6 points with 4.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds.

Lonnie Walker IV

Walker has on-court experience with Murray, so he could be an interesting target both during the injury and when the time comes for the guard to return.

He signed a deal with the Boston Celtics this offseason, but didn't make the opening day roster and was recently cut. He's a three-and-D player that can fill in as a shooting guard.

While the 25-year-old isn't a perfect replacement, don't expect him to pick up double digit assists very often, he could still give the team a boost.

Malachi Flynn

Another player that was recently let go ahead of the start of the season, Flynn is an interesting guard that has never really gotten the chance to make an impact.

He carries a slot three-point shot and can pick up both assists and rebounds in bunches off the bench.

The 26-year-old wouldn't be much more than a depth piece, but could fight for some minutes that are left over in the guard rotation.