The New Orleans Pelicans already have one of the most fascinating backcourts in basketball. Jordan Poole, Jeremiah Fears, Jordan Hawkins, and eventually Dejounte Murray, when he returns from injury, seems to be the rotation that Willie Green will roll with (not sure what other options he has) in 2025-26.
Will it be... good? I don't want to get crazy here. Will it be exciting? That seems more realistic! There will almost surely be fireworks, but whether they shoot into the sky and create a beautiful show or tip over and get launched into trees and start a fire is to be determined.
Regardless, it will be Fears and Poole running the show for a few months until Murray returns to the lineup after tearing his Achilles in January. How the team fares without Murray might determine how the team integrates him back into the lineup when he returns.
Maybe Jeremiah Fears develops considerably faster than everyone expects and Jordan Poole continues his growth into "normal, composed, pretty solid NBA player." In that case, bringing Murray back slowly would feel much easier than if they were struggling.
Will Dejounte Murray take back a starting spot when he returns?
I'm leaning toward no in 2025-26. Murray, at his best, is better than the Pels' other options — but an Achilles tear is no joke. He'll undoubtedly need some time to reacclimate to the speed of the NBA game, and using him as a sixth man or a combo guard who can replace either Fears or Poole at the guard spots seems like the smartest way to approach this.
Murray has posted videos of himself dunking, which is pretty dang impressive less than eight months after an Achilles tear. His return, likely in early 2026, will be a welcome sight for a Pelicans roster that can't boast about its depth, to say the least.
Oddly, Murray's future with the team may have gotten clearer since he went down with injury. I don't think the team has any interest in dealing him elsewhere; why would they, when they have a desperate need for backcourt depth? After playing just 31 games with the team, Murray suffered a horrific injury. His return might raise some questions about the rotation, but it will bring some much-needed assistance for an unproven backcourt.