If the NBA season had started on January 1, 2025, we'd be looking at a completely different New Orleans Pelicans team. They've gone 6-4 since the turn of the calendar, giving them the eighth-best record in January in the league and the fifth-best mark in the Western Conference.
They're riding their first win streak of the entire 2024-25 NBA campaign after downing the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, and the Utah Jazz. They'll have the opportunity to extend it to four outings in a row with another matchup against the bottom-feeder Jazz on the docket.
The Pelicans have started to turn it around as a team since the New Year, putting up better numbers on both ends of the court in 2025. We'll see how long that continues, as it makes much more sense for New Orleans to try to lose as many games as possible this season versus playing themselves out of a top pick and putting the franchise back in NBA purgatory. Moral victories are important for a team, though, and Dejounte Murray's improved play during this latest stretch is a big one for the Pelicans as an overall organization.
Dejounte Murray's starting to vindicate the Pelicans' decision to trade for him last summer
The Pelicans as a unit have been hitting all of their New Year's resolutions so far in 2025, but Dejounte Murray has been turning things around individually as well. Since January 6, in his last seven games, Murray's averaged 20.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 44 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. He also tallied two steals a night in that span.
With the Pelicans' disastrous season, it's hard not to look back at the Dejounte trade in retrospect with regret. After all, New Orleans is likely headed for a franchise teardown and a mini rebuild, or retool at the least. It would have been nice for them to retain the assets they gave up for DJM, mainly the Los Angeles Lakers' 2025 first-round pick, the Pelicans' top-four protected first in 2027, and rising third-year guard Dyson Daniels.
It didn't help that Murray fractured his left hand in his very first game with New Orleans and struggled severely with his efficiency once he returned. On the year, he's averaging just 16.8 points on 39 percent shooting, including just 31 percent from 3-point land. His current scoring output is his worst mark since the 2020-21 season, his deep accuracy is at its low point since his sophomore year, and his overall field-goal percentage is at a career low.
His broken hand and the subsequent recovery clearly affected his shooting touch, but seeing him struggle alongside the Pelicans' meltdown and Dyson Daniels's ascension with the Atlanta Hawks made it difficult to shake the unavoidable feelings of dread and regret when looking back on the Dejounte Murray trade.
It's no coincidence that the Pelicans have started to win games again since Murray has rediscovered his shot. Even when he wasn't pouring in buckets, his presence as a true floor general was still transformative for the New Orleans offense. Now that he's been reliably providing his own scoring, the Pelicans have looked downright spectacular at times with him leading the charge. Since January 6, the Pelicans have had a 114.7 offensive rating with him on the floor, a mark that would rank 11th in the NBA this season.
It's clear now that this version of Dejounte Murray, with a healthy Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram and a full supporting cast, would have made for a squad that couldn't be taken lightly. At his best, there's no doubt that Murray would have helped this team win games more than Dyson Daniels ever could have.
It was reported earlier this year that New Orleans wasn't interested in trading Dejounte, even after their season was lost to injuries. It made sense then too, but his recent performance has really vindicated that decision as well as the trade that brought him here this summer. Having an experienced scorer who can adequately control the offense will be good for the Pelicans regardless of what direction they take going forward.
If they opt for a mini retool and aim for a return to the playoffs next season, his two-way play at the point of attack will be invaluable in raising this team's ceiling. If they choose to tear it all down, his experience and talent will take pressure off of their young prospects and aid in their development. Either way, Dejounte Murray should be a part of the Pelicans' future.