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NBA League-Tracker: Ex-Spur Dejounte Murray to Miss Extended Time with Fractured Hand

Stay up to date with the latest news around the NBA, including signings, trades, injuries and more.

Matt Guzman

Oct 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) during warmups before the game against the Chicago Bulls at Smoothie King Center.
Oct 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) during warmups before the game against the Chicago Bulls at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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Welcome to San Antonio Spurs On SI's league-tracker.

Here, you'll find some of the biggest news around the NBA, including signings, trades, injuries and more. Be sure to tune in to get more info on blockbuster headlines.

Please note, the latest news will always appear first.

THURSDAY, OCT 24: DEJOUNTE MURRAY FRACTURES LEFT HAND

At the conclusion of Dejounte Murray's New Orleans Pelicans debut, his box score read of a near triple-double. The explosive guard notched 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a win that was certainly convincing.

But the fanfare didn't last long, unfortunately.

Murray was revealed to have a fractured left hand — first feared and confirmed later that night — which, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, will cause him to miss extended time.

Murray is entering his eighth season in the league and is set to be a big addition for the Pelicans, who are looking to make a run in the Western Conference, and while he'll be watching from the bench until he's fully healthy, the Pelicans can still look forward to his impact.

TUESDAY, OCT 15: BULLS PG LONZO BALL CLEARED FOR RETURN

After nearly three years, Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball is expected to make his return to basketball Wednesday evening against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ball, who suffered a slight meniscus tear back in January of 2022, has been working to recover ever since. He's undergone three knee surgeries and quite a few failed attempts and ramping up to play, but this time around, the Bulls are hopeful.

Billy Donovan, especially.

“He’s done really, really well," Donovan said. "He’s been out there and he’s played. And he’s been effective playing. I think his timing’s coming back.”

Over the offseason, Chicago made the decision to send Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a deal for Josh Giddey to help offset the lost production from being without Ball, but while the Australian point guard is set to have a huge role, Ball can certainly find a place for himself.

The Bulls, and everyone, are just glad he's healthy.

SATURDAY, SEP 28: KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS TRADED TO KNICKS

In a surprise three-team blockbuster deal, Karl-Anthony Towns is a New York Knick.

Late Friday evening, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that New York had reached an agreement with the Minnesota Timberwolves to send Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a 2025 first-round pick West in exchange for Towns.

The Charlotte Hornets snuck into the deal as well, landing DaQuan Jeffries and unspecified draft compensation in a trade that not even Towns saw coming.

With the move, the two-big experiment that Minnesota was running after signing Gobert in the 2022 offseason is over, and a new era featuring Towns and Jalen Brunson begins in New York.

The NBA season is just around the corner.

MONDAY, SEP 23: DERRICK ROSE WAIVED BY GRIZZLIES

After 15 NBA seasons, Derrick Rose is officially without a team.

Announced Monday evening, Rose was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies in accordance with his request, paving the way for him to either join a contender or take some time off.

In 24 games with Memphis, Rose averaged eight points and 3.3 assists. He had one year remaining on his two-year, $6.6 million deal he signed last offseason, and has previously spent time with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons.

WEDNESDAY SEP 18: ESPN'S ADRIAN WOJNAROWSKI RETIRES

Adrian "Woj" Wojnarowski took a final bow Wednesday morning.

Announced via X, formerly known as Twitter, the ESPN senior NBA insider announced that after seven years at his position, he'd be retiring from the journalism industry to become St. Bonaventure's men's basketball general manager.

"This craft transformed my life, but I've decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry," Wojnarowski, 55, wrote. "I understand the commitment required in my role and it's an investment that I'm no longer driven to make."

Wojnarowski made a name for himself by forging relationships in and around the league throughout his time with ESPN and Yahoo! Sports. He notoriously reported on plenty of blockbuster trades and signings, including Kawhi Leonard's departure from the San Antonio Spurs.

Now, he'll be helping the Bonnies find success in the NCAA.

SATURDAY, SEP 7: MURRAY SIGNS MAX EXTENSION WITH NUGGETS

After a somewhat disappointing outing with Team Canada during the 2024 Olympics, Jamal Murray is headed back to the United States ready for another season with the Denver Nuggets.

Luckily, his play there has more-than earned him his keep. Saturday morning, the star point guard agreed to a four-year $204 million max extension to remain in Denver through 2029. His full five-year deal now stands at $244 million, and keeps him out of free agency next summer.

Last season, Murray averaged 21.2 points — tied for his career high — 6.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds on 42.1 percent shooting from 3-point range. He's played a pivotal role in the Nuggets' continued status as a Western Conference contender, and will likely continue to under his new deal.

MONDAY, SEP 2: EVAN FOURNIER EXITS NBA, SIGNS EUROLEAGUE DEAL

After putting on a show at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris for Team France, Evan Fournier is making a professional change.

Fournier spent 12 seasons in the NBA, spending time with the Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons. On his career, he averaged 13.6 points, 2.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and came up just shy of 40 percent from 3-point range.

Now, he's set to join Euroleague club Olympiacos on a two-year, $4 million-plus deal.

Over the past few seasons, Fournier has seen a decreased role with the teams he's played for — even being considered a potential trade target for the Spurs last offseason — but will now look to ramp up his performance overseas.

And if his time with Olympiacos goes anything like his Olympics did, that might just be the right decision.

THURSDAY, AUG 29: STEPH CURRY SIGNS MEGA 1-YEAR EXTENSION

Stephen Curry barely missed the cut.

After Jayson Tatum signed a five-year, $314 million extension — the richest deal in NBA history — Curry followed suit, just not for nearly as long. The Golden State Warriors star signed a one-year, $62.6 million extension to keep him rostered through the 2026-27 season.

Tatum is set to average $62.8 million per year under his new deal, making it slightly richer, but there isn't any doubt that a new wave of contracts is under way — a byproduct of the NBA's impending CBA that will push deals and the salary cap higher than ever.

Curry is just the latest player beneficiary.

WEDNESDAY, AUG 28: LEBRON JAMES, 4 OTHERS, TO STAR IN NETFLIX SERIES

Ever wonder how the best athletes in the world maintain their bodies and balance their personal lives over the span of a grueling NBA season?

That was the question Netflix set out to answer before announcing a 10-part series titled "Starting 5," set to release Oct. 9 on the streaming platform. Featured in the show will be Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, NBA Champion Jayson Tatum, Miami Heat veteran Jimmy Butler and Minnesota Timberwolves rising star Anthony Edwards.

"The series captures their battles on and off the court as they chase greatness, push through injuries, and balance the demands of family and legacy," Netflix said in a release. "Starting 5 delivers an unfiltered view of life at the pinnacle of professional basketball."

There were plenty of storylines to follow last season, and there will be plenty more this time around, but just 13 days before the beginning of every team's 2024-25 campaign, NBA fans will have their chance to relive last season one more time.

All 10 episodes will air on Oct. 9 only on Netflix.

THURSDAY, AUG 15: WHO HAS THE MOST GAMES ON NATIONAL TV?

In what's become more of an event year after year, the NBA officially released its full schedule for the 2024-25 season, including national TV games, rivalry matchups and more.

Between a full slate of opening-night matchups, the third installment of what Adam Silver has deemed "Rivals Week" and a star-studded Christmas Day schedule, there will be plenty of storylines to dive into throughout the year. Perhaps the easiest to quantify, however, is how often each team will be featured on every television in the country on any given night.

The Spurs earned 21 games on national TV this season — up four from last season — but still they rank outside of the top 10 in such games.

Below is the list of teams with the most national TV games:

  • LAL: 39
  • GSW: 36
  • BOS: 34
  • NYK: 34
  • PHX: 30
  • DAL: 30
  • DEN: 29
  • PHI: 27
  • MIL: 27
  • MIN: 25
  • OKC: 25
  • SAS: 21
  • LAC: 21

Having the Los Angeles Lakers atop the list isn't surpriring given LeBron James' waning career. He and Anthony Davis are fresh off winning a gold medal, as are Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White — all players on teams in the top three.

The Spurs are in the limelight once again, as they will be for every year of Wembanyama's career, but still have things to prove before they take the NBA world — and TV schedule — by storm.

Perhaps then they'll near half of their schedule on every television in the country.

FRIDAY, AUG 9: BRANDY COLE FRUSTRATED OVER NO TATUM

A team of All-Stars, MVPs and A1 basketball players seems to be the perfect combination for a run at a gold medal at the Olympics ... until you have to allot playing time for all of them.

Since the summer season began for Team USA in Paris, France, one of the biggest criticisms of the star-studded team has been Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and his seemingly random lineups. Some days, Joel Embiid comes off the bench while Anthony Davis starts.

Other times, Kevin Durant comes off the bench and Jrue Holiday starts. Tyrese Haliburton seldom plays regardless, but that's also seemed to be the case with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

The 26-year-old has received two DNPs to date. One came in the Olympic opener against Nikola Jokić and Serbia, while the other came in the semifinal against the same squad. Kerr claimed it's just "a math problem," but for Tatum's mother, Brandy Cole, that wasn't sufficient.

“No he not,” Cole responded on X, formerly known as Twitter, to a user asking if Tatum was injuried. “But if you find out what’s going on please let me know — (this is) unacceptable and makes NO SENSE.”

As Team USA prepares for one final game against Victor Wembanyama and Les Bleus, questions regarding the lineup will certainly be atop the list of many. Whether Tatum plays or not is yet to be seen, but ironically, even without him, the team hasn't suffered much.

Seems to come with the territory of playing with a super team.

TUESDAY, AUG 6: TEAM USA ADVANCES TO SEMIFINAL OVER BRAZIL

With their backs against the wall — though not any more than their opponents' — Team USA took the court against Brazil with a chance to advance to the men's semifinal at the 2024 Olympic Games.

After 40 minutes of game action, it was the former who emerged victorious behind strong showings from a multitude of players. Six stars finished in double digits to give USA a 122-87 victory.

Devin Booker led the way for the squad with 18 points, while Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid — who shot perfectly from beyond the arc — LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant all followed behind. With 11 points, Durant officially became the leading scorer in Team USA basketball history.

With the win, the U.S. advances to play Nikola Jokić and Serbia in the semifinal. A win there puts them in contention for the gold medal, where they'd await the winner of France vs. Germany.

Tipoff for Team USA vs. Serbia is set for 2 p.m. Central Thursday.

MONDAY, AUG 5: DOMINICK BARLOW, DEVONTE' GRAHAM SIGN ELSEWHERE

The writing was on the wall, but now, it's official.

Both have now done so.

In what is now his third straight two-way deal, Barlow inked a contract with the Atlanta Hawks that will see him split time between the mainstay roster and the College Park Skyhawks. With the Spurs, he averaged 4.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and one assist in 61 appearances spanning two seasons.

Graham, on the other hand, was traded earlier in the offseason to the Charlotte Hornets, who waived him immediately. Now, he's signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he'll continue to try and carve out a role for himself in the league. Over the course of his six-year career, he's averaged 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.

With Julian Champagnie's contract officially guaranteed as of Aug. 1 as well, the Spurs now have their final roster for the upcoming season barring any trades.

Now, Year 2 with Victor Wembanyama can officially begin.

SUNDAY, JULY 28: TEAM USA DOMINATES ON OPENING NIGHT

Suddenly, all of the narratives were falsified.

After rumblings of Team USA struggling to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games due to some shaky outings in its preliminary contests, opening night came and went with little trouble.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James led the way, posting 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in a near-triple double while Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant added 23 points on 88 percent shooting from the field, missing just one shot.

Mix in double-digit outings from Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker, and the result was a blowout victory over Nikola Jokic and Serbia, 110-84.

With the win, Team USA improves to 1-0 with two more games on the slate in pool play. If nothing else, the squad put the rest of the world on notice as the games rage on.

Especially considering that it won without Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24: NBA CHOOSES AMAZON OVER TNT; LAWSUIT LIKELY

In a gut-punch move for NBA fans, the era of NBA on TNT is officially set to end after next season.

A long-winded saga that ultimately saw the league enter into a new TV deal with Amazon in conjunction with Disney — the parent company of ESPN and ABC — and NBC came to a head when TNT began losing traction in a new agreement to keep its coverage and "Inside the NBA" afloat.

As such, it invoked a matching clause that it hoped would force the NBA's hand into sticking with the network, but after claiming that the offer from TNT "did not match" that of Amazon's, the league decided to side with the latter and move forward.

The deal is worth near $77 billion over 11 seasons.

"We are grateful to Turner Sports for its award-winning coverage of the NBA," the league said in a statement. "(We) look forward to another season of the NBA on TNT."

Safe to say, TNT wasn't a big fan of the decision.

The minutiae surrounding both networks' contracts will likely be addressed in court as TNT looks to salvage anything it can before it loses the rights to what's turned into a ginormous money-maker for it. "Appropriate action" likely means a lawsuit, and while a complete reversal is highly unlikely, there is always a chance.

Seems like TNT is refusing to go down easy.

MONDAY, JULY 22: LEBRON JAMES TO MAKE OLYMPIC HISTORY

Few have had the honor, but LeBron James now enters the fold.

Dawn Staley — now the legendary coach at South Carolina responsible for its vast women's basketball success — and Sue Bird were the first two basketball players to earn the honor of bearing the flag of the United States of America at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games.

James, the first men's basketball player to do so, is set to be the third, as annouced Monday.

Safe to say, he isn't taking the honor lightly.

“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together,” the Team USA star said. “For a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only myself, but to my family, all the kids in my hometown, my teammates, fellow Olympians and so many people across the country with big aspirations"

James — nominated by teammate Steph Curry — is participating in his fourth Olympics and will look to lead the Steve Kerr-coached squad to another Gold medal. If he does, he'll close out his long-time Olympic journey on a high note.

Perhaps that's even more motivation for the 39-year-old.

SUNDAY, JULY 21: WENYEN GABRIEL SPEAKS ON SOUTH SUDAN'S NEAR-WIN

On the same night that Team USA women's basketball lost its matchup against the WNBA All-Stars, Team USA men's had similar troubles, nearly dropping their game against South Sudan in an exhibition tune-up in London, England.

Following that matchup, the narrative surrounding Team USA was that perhaps its seemingly "easy" trek to the gold medal during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris wasn't going to be so easy.

After all, almost losing to South Sudan? That's not a great look.

For the team in question, however, nearly knocking off a team comprised of countless NBA stars did plenty for them. They might not have won, but they put themselves on the map.

"Lots of people around the world didn't know what South Sudan was," Wenyen Gabriel, somewhat of an NBA vagabond, said. "We (were) able to represent our country with pride, put up a good fight and show the potential of our country."

Gabriel spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2021-23, so he was plenty familiar with LeBron James — arguably still the face of Team USA in what's likely to be his last run with the squad.

Perhaps that link allowed South Sudan to predict their opponents' moves a little easier, but at the end of the day, they showed just how much potential they do have. It meant a lot to them.

As for Team USA? James spoke to that as his squad continues to prepare for Paris.

“I’m going to be honest," James said of Team USA's 101-100 win. "I like those better than the blowouts. At least we get tested.”

THURSDAY, JULY 18: RUSSELL WESTBROOK LIKELY TO JOIN NUGGETS

In a slightly odd turn of events, veteran point guard Russell Westbrook was traded and immediately waived by the Utah Jazz for the second time in his career.

The first time, it came at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers, who dealt him away to Utah at the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline in a three-team deal landing them D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley. Westbrook was promptly waived before joining the LA Clippers.

Now that the star-studded core in LA is experiencing trouble in paradise, Westbrook is back on the move, this time in exchange for Jazz guard Kris Dunn. And the contender he's likely to join in the coming weeks?

The Denver Nuggets.

Constantly described as a great teammate — most recently by rookie forward Kobe Brown — Westbrook is now set to join Nikola Jokic and company in Denver as the former champions look to make it back to the NBA Finals.

Maybe then Westbrook will earn his first ring.

TUESDAY, JULY 16: JOE 'JELLYBEAN' BRYANT DIES AT 69

Tuesday morning brought a somber, yet reminiscent mood for NBA fans.

According to his college alma mater, La Salle, Joe 'Jellybean' Bryant died at 69 years old of a massive stroke. Bryant was the father of late Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bean Bryant, and is preceded in death by Kobe as well as his 13-year-old granddaughter, Gianna 'Gigi' Bryant.

Bryant spent eight seasons in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and then-San Diego Clippers before transitioning to an overseas career and later one in coaching. At his peak of his latter occupation, Bryant was the coach of the Los Angeles Sparks, where he spent a total of three seasons.

Vanessa Bryant issued a statement via social media regarding the news of her late father-in-law.

"Sending our condolences," she wrote. "We hoped things would've been different. Although the times we spent together were few, he was always sweet and nice to be around. Kobe loved him very much.

"Our prayers go out to family."

FRIDAY, JULY 12: JALEN BRUNSON TAKES MASSIVE PAY CUT

After nearly securing a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals back in May, the New York Knicks are retooling and preparing for another run this upcoming season.

Adding Mikal Bridges was the first step, but re-signing O.G. Anunoby was another big-time move for the hopeful contenders. With those players, the core was filled out — especially when adding back Mitchell Robinson from injury — but that left the Knicks' star.

Jalen Brunson is fully committed to New York and winning a title there, especially after his breakout season last year, but with such talent came a need for him to get paid. The Knicks were prepared to fork over $269 million next summer to keep him rostered for five more seasons, but instead, the point guard decided to cut his team the deal of a lifetime.

Instead of demanding the huge contract next offseason, Brunson opted into a four-year, $156.5 million extension to save the Knicks over $100 million. With that money, they can sign other stars and funnel their assets into keeping the core of their team intact for years to come.

Surely, Brunson loves massive contracts.

But his decision this offseason proves he wants to win more.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10: DERRICK WHITE REPLACES KAWHI LEONARD

San Antonio Spurs faithful might have been conflicted about rooting for Kawhi Leonard as he competed for Team USA this summer in Paris — not to mention the internal struggle created by Victor Wembanyama playing for France — but now, their worries were put to rest.

Leonard is no longer participating in the 2024 Olympic Games, and in his place, former Spur Derrick White will suit up alongside his now-teammate, Jayson Tatum.

"Kawhi has been ramping up for the Olympics over the past several weeks and had a few strong practices in Las Vegas," Team USA wrote via an issued statement. "He felt ready to compete. However, he respects that USA Basketball and the Clippers determined it's in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season rather than participating in the Olympic Games in Paris."

As Team USA chases another gold medal with its own version of the NBA All-Star game for a roster, Leonard will have to watch from the sidelines while White — fresh off of an NBA title — gets in on the action.

Seems like there's no question how Spurs fans will feel seeing him in the Red, White & Blue.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3: FATHER-SON DUO OFFICIALLY INK CONTRACTS

It was expected entering the 2024 NBA Draft, but when it finally happened, it was still slightly unbelievable.

After taking USC guard Bronny James with the No. 55 overall pick, the Los Angeles Lakers were primed to make history by rostering the only father-son duo in league history. And on Wednesday, that history was made. Both James' officially signed contracts with the Lakers to guarantee their spots on the team next season.

LeBron signed a two-year $104 million extension to keep him on the team through the 2025-26 season — simultaneously making him the first player in NBA history to eclipse $500 million in career contract earnings — while Bronny agreed to a four-year deal paying him just under $8 million.

The older James' deal includes a no-trade clause and player option, while Bronny's is guaranteed through three years and comes with a team option in Year 4.

As much talk as there was surrounding that inevitable outcome, Bronny made clear that not only was he aware of it, but he's going to have to learn to "get through it." And that they will.

Together.

"I've already seen it on social media and stuff," Bronny said. "Talking about that I might not deserve an opportunity. But I've been dealing with stuff like this my whole life, so it's nothing different."

"Rob has told me that there's a great development system here, so I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day," he added. "I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad. But that's always there to take part of."

MONDAY, JULY 1: KLAY THOMPSON MAKES FREE AGENCY DECISION

After the writing was seemingly on the wall that Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson would be leaving his former team for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, the 34-year-old gave the league a shocking twist.

Next season, Thompson will be a Dallas Maverick, joining Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving in pursuit of an NBA title on a three-year, $50 million deal as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Charlotte Hornets.

Thompson and the Warriors parted ways after 13 seasons, officially ending a dynasty that Steve Kerr built around him and Steph Curry. Now, the sharpshooter will look for a fresh start — and some postseason redemption — in Dallas.

Reportedly, the Los Angeles Lakers offered Thompson a four-year, $80 million deal that superstar LeBron James was willing to take a pay cut for his team to afford, but ultimately, the higher promise of a title with the Mavericks and a difference in state taxes between California and Texas swayed him.

Now, he's set to help Dallas get back to the NBA Finals, where he can add a fifth ring to his resume.

MONDAY, JULY 1: LA CLIPPERS STAR PAUL GEORGE SIGNS WITH 76ERS

The LA Clippers are certainly going to look a little bit different next season.

After being informed that the star they moved mountains for five years ago, Paul George, would not be returning to the team next season, they began to work on finding replacements. Since his decision, the Clippers inked James Harden to a new two-year, $70 million deal to keep him paired with Kawhi Leonard and added both Derrick Jones Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr.

Meanwhile in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers will also look different. They were the frontrunners to land George, and early Monday morning they made it official, landing the disgruntled Clippers star on a 4-year, $212 million deal to form a new Big 3 between him, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Earlier this offseason, George addressed the state of the Spurs, stating that they were in need of a point guard who could "unlock" Victor Wembanyama's full potential. Sunday evening, San Antonio signed Chris Paul to a one-year, $11+ million deal, seemingly unlocking the potential George had mentioned.

Now, the small forward will look to do same with Embiid, hopefully providing the piece that Philadelphia has been looking for in order to move past the second round and into championship contention.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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