It’s been a brutal season for the New Orleans Pelicans, who sit at 16–42 with no first-round pick, leaving fans with little reason for optimism. Although this season appears to be a wash, the team's final 24 games are bound to be exciting with the return of former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray. The 29-year-old spoke to the media for the first time ahead of his return Tuesday, after suffering a torn Achilles tendon at the end of last January.
During his media availability, Murray touched on how, despite the team's standing, he wanted to make his return to the court for the fans and the city. Saying that he could sit out the rest of the season and say he's not playing, but he wants to "represent for New Orleans."
"I'm not one of those guys like I'm paid, I could get an extra 6-7 months, or our team is 14th in the West. There are a lot of excuses for a chump to say 'I'm not playing'. I am the opposite of that... I want to represent of New Orleans"
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) February 23, 2026
-- Dejounte Murray on New Orleans pic.twitter.com/NOB1LzV3IC
We saw Saturday night that all the Pelicans fans want when they buy their tickets to Smoothie King Center is a fun, competitive game, and Murray's time talking with the media today shows he understands that.
Murray’s return could help the Pelicans flip the switch
Ultimately, none of this matters if Murray doesn’t back it up on the floor. But his comments signal the kind of mentality the Pelicans have lacked at times this season. Sure, this team isn't going to go undefeated the rest of the way and reach the play-in tournament, but Murray's return could be the shift in this team's mentality.
We've seen some nights the Pelicans get down early or get off to bad starts at the beginning of quarters, and that's it, they throw in the towel. But now that Murray is returning, this team has a player who won't let stuff like that happen.
He has that Jose Alvarado type of energy where he refuses to let games drift. If the Pelicans' opponents go on a 10-0 run, he's the type of guy to pick up the ball handler full court just to shift the energy of the game. And we saw just what type of energy and impact Alvarado could have in bench minutes. Now imagine that energy from the team's starting point guard, who has a career average of 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.
This is a young team. A young team that many people, myself included, put unrealistic expectations on coming into this season. With Murray returning, this young group now has a leader and a player who will set the tone for this team by bringing winning energy every time he steps on the court.