Almost two weeks ago, Trey Murphy III played his last game of the season for the New Orleans Pelicans. On March 17, against the Detroit Pistons, Trey crashed to the ground, diving for a loose ball just a minute into the clash. By the time he got back up, it was clear to anyone watching that something was wrong.
Later on, he'd be diagnosed with a couple of serious shoulder injuries: a torn labrum and a partial tear in his rotator cuff. There wasn't any doubt that he'd miss the rest of the Pelicans' few remaining games, but the full severity of his new condition and the subsequent timetable for his return was still up in the air.
Earlier today, the Pelicans released an announcement that helped to provide a reasonable estimate for his timeline. New Orleans revealed in a statement that Trey Murphy III underwent successful surgery to repair his shoulder. While he's expected to make a full recovery, the rehabilitation will cost him practically his entire offseason, which isn't great news for him or the team.
Trey Murphy III likely won't be able to resume full activity until October 2025
In their press release, the New Orleans Pelicans announced that Trey Murphy III underwent successful surgery on Wednesday, March 26. His shoulder was operated on in Los Angeles, California by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. When it was first announced that TMIII had torn his labrum, it immediately brought Herb Jones and his injury this season to mind.
Jones had torn his right shoulder labrum in early January. He ultimately went under the knife for his own operation on February 12, over a month after he initially incurred the injury against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 8. He and the team taking so long to make the decision compared to Murphy III's surgery implies two different things. Either Herb's injury wasn't as severe as Trey's or the Pelicans were seriously considering bringing Jones back this season before ultimately opting to shut him down for the remainder of the campaign.
New Orleans actually has first-hand experience with a player opting against surgery for a torn shoulder labrum and making a speedy recovery. Back in the 2014-15 season, Eric Gordon tore his labrum in his left shoulder. He decided against surgery and was able to make his return to the court after missing just 21 games or a little over one full month of action. His decision didn't seem to carry any negative repercussions, as he was actually more effective following his furlough.
Unfortunately, Murphy III's injury required surgery. The typical recovery time for an NBA athlete after such an operation is around six months, which means that Trey won't be able to resume full activities until nearly October. He showed us first-hand how instrumental a full offseason can be to a player's development by ascending to star status this past season. This summer, he'll have to focus on his rehabilitation instead of sharpening his basketball skills. Hopefully, it won't slow down his trajectory at all, and he'll get another shot at Most Improved Player by going up another level next season.