New Orleans Pelicans Teammate Speaks Out on Dejounte Murray Trade

New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy provided his thoughts on the Dejounte Murray trade.

Apr 14, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans swung big this offseason and connected on a major trade to acquire star guard Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks.

While Murray had come up in a lot of trade rumors, the Pelicans hadn't been one of the top destinations named for him. They came out of nowhere and pulled off a deal that changes the outlook for the franchise.

Murray is that big of an impact player. He's an elite scorer, a good defender, and can create for his teammates. With him on the roster, New Orleans is looking like a serious contender in the Western Conference.

Following the move, his new teammate, Trey Murphy, was asked about Murray and his thoughts on the trade. Murphy spoke out honestly about what he thinks of the Pelicans going out and acquiring the guard.

"It’s great, especially because he brings a lot of offensive firepower to our team. When you add a guy like that to a team, it’s obviously going to be a lot better, so I’m happy to get him on our team."

Murphy continued forward talking about what he expects from the team during the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season.

"We’ve got a lot of weapons, and we already had a lot. We’ve got even more weapons now. We obviously lost a lot of key guys we had on last year’s team, like Naji Marshall, Dyson Daniels, and Larry Nance Jr. We’re going to miss their presence a lot. But I definitely think we’re going to do a lot of stuff with the team we have now, and I’m sure we’re not even done with our roster construction."

Looking at the acquisition of Murray, he brings a lot of production to the court.

During the 2023-24 NBA season with the Hawks, Murray averaged 22.5 points per game to go along with 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds. He also chipped in with 1.4 steals. In addition to those averages, Murray shot 45.9 percent from the floor and 36.3 percent from three-point range.

At 27 years old, Murray is just now entering his prime. He'll join a young and hungry Pelicans team looking to make the leap from fringe contender to a legitimate contender in the West.

Not only is Murray a very productive player, he's a go-to guy in clutch situations. Time and time again last season, the star guard hit clutch baskets or game-winners.

Those are all qualities that New Orleans needed.

With Murray now on board, it will be interesting to see what the Pelicans can do. They've set themselves up for a chance to compete, they just need all the players to buy in together.