Pelicans news: Dejounte Murray misses practice, Brandon Boston Jr. signed

The 2024-25 NBA season is finally upon us, but the New Orleans Pelicans and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin weren't content with resting on their laurels until their campaign began. The team took full advantage of their offseason, working practically until the buzzer to ensure that the organization was as ready as possible for the upcoming season and its challenges.

The Pelicans have had a full summer of affairs. From blockbuster trades for All-Stars to front-office additions and promotions to meticulous roster tinkering, New Orleans didn't do much vacationing this offseason.

This upcoming season is a crucial one for the Pelicans, and the team's busy offseason is a testament to that. There's no guarantee that they'll be able to finally get over the hump this year, but one thing is clear: David Griffin and co. worked around the clock to put themselves in the best position they could moving forward. Here are some of the most recent developments from the New Orleans Pelicans in this past week.

The New Orleans Pelicans are setting themselves up for future success

Trey Murphy III signed extension

After a full offseason of negotiations, the Pelicans finally came to an agreement on an extension with Trey Murphy III. He ultimately signed on for four additional years for a total of $112 million for an average annual value of $28 million per season. In this new league economy, TMIII's new deal could wind up one of the biggest bargain contracts in the NBA.

It was crucial that New Orleans reach an agreement with Murphy's camp, as they did so just hours before the deadline, preventing him from hitting restricted free agency in 2025 and potentially getting priced out by a young team flush with cash. Now, the Pelicans have a strong core locked down for the foreseeable future, with eight players guaranteed through the 2026-27 season, including Murphy III, Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Jordan Hawkins, and Yves Missi.

Dejounte Murray missed practice

According to NOLA.com's Christian Clark, Dejounte Murray missed practice on Monday, October 21 due to "personal reasons." His status for Wednesday's season opener is questionable. Willie Green stated that the team is "hopeful" that he'll be available for tip-off.

Thankfully, this doesn't have anything to do with health and shouldn't keep Murray out for any extended period of time. It's yet to be disclosed why Murray missed practice and likely won't be, but the Pelicans' new star guard should be back soon. New Orleans could get off to a slow start with both Murray and Trey Murphy III potentially missing some time to begin the season, but they have plenty of ball-handling and scoring to survive while Murray's out.

Pelicans sign Brandon Boston Jr.

On Monday, New Orleans waived Malcolm Hill and freed up one of their two-way contract slots. That vacancy was filled quickly, however, as the Pelicans signed Brandon Boston Jr. to that spot just hours later. The fourth-year wing was picked 51st overall by the Memphis Grizzlies but was then rerouted to the Los Angeles Clippers whom he played for the last three seasons.

Buried under LA's myriad wings, Boston Jr. scarcely played, appearing in just 105 games through three years, averaging just 6.2 points on 40/31/78 shooting splits in just under 12 minutes per outing. He also spent time in the G-League with the Ontario Clippers (now San Diego Clippers) and averaged 23 points, 3.3 assists, and 6.1 rebounds in 16 games.