Kembali
New Orleans Pelicans guard and former All-NBA Star Dejounte Murray may soon have a new home as he has reportedly requested a trade.
Murray, who has previously played for the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks, joined the Pelicans in 2024. He is averaging just 13.4 points per game, which is tied for his fewest per 36 minutes in nearly a decade since 2017-18. As a playmaker, his assists per 36 are also lower than any season since that same sophomore campaign. He recently called this the "worst" experience he has had in the NBA.
Due to an ankle sprain, he was officially listed as unavailable to play against the Memphis Grizzlies in an NBA Cup match on Friday evening.
Perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what is needed for Murray, who can still provide genuine value on the defensive end of the floor. Here are some potential destinations for the 2022 NBA steals leader:
Within minutes of ESPN's Shams Charania reporting that Murray requested a trade, NBA insider Chris Haynes linked him to the Suns as a potential suitor. Phoenix is in the market for a guard and he could potentially complement Devin Booker in the backcourt in the Western Conference and is probably a better, less redunant fit than Jalen Green. This is the heavy favorite for Murray's next destination.
The Warriors (8-4) are currently contenders in the West but are dealing with injuries to Stephen Curry, Moses Moody, and Jimmy Butler. Plus, they no longer have Kristaps Porziņģis. Perhaps a trade of some kind for Murray could help keep them relevant until Curry is able to come back to the court.
While the Heat are underperforming (5-6) relative to lofty expectations, they lost a lot of depth when they traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo. This leaves their backcourt relatively thin with Tyler Herro now on the Jazz. A defensive-minded backcourt with Murray and Davion Mitchell could dominate with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt.
The Hornets do not look nearly as impressive without LaMelo Ball in their starting lineup and outside of Coby White, they are relatively thin at the guard position. Maybe a deal centered around Naz Reid, who has potentially had some trouble fitting in with his new team, would work.
The Pistons have a few strong defensive-oriented players like Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland, so this is a fun fit on a team looking to contend. He could join Daniss Jenkins as a running mate for Pistons star Cade Cunningham if there is interest from either side.