Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray Requests Trade; Suns Interested

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), the Suns have registered interest in Murray, who is owed about $32.8MM this season and holds a $30.8MM player option for 2027/28. Murray’s contract also contains $2.4MM in unlikely incentives that count toward the tax aprons, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter).

Appearing on NBA today, Charania reports (Twitter video link) that Murray is hoping to find a team where he can play a “meaningful, key role.” Charania suggests Murray will no longer be playing for the Pelicans going forward — the team has officially ruled him out of Friday’s game due to a left ankle sprain (Twitter link).

Murray has posted and deleted multiple tweets recently indicating that he was unhappy with his situation.

A Seattle native who played one season of college basketball at the University of Washington prior to being selected 29th overall in the 2016 draft, spent his first six NBA seasons with the Spurs, who traded him to Atlanta in the 2022 offseason. The 30-year-old guard played two years with the Hawks, who flipped him to the Pelicans in the summer of 2024.

Murray’s first season in New Orleans was disrupted by significant injuries, as he fractured his left hand in the 2024/25 season opener, causing him to miss 17 games, then ruptured his right Achilles tendon in January 2025. He returned to action in February 2026, making 14 appearances down the stretch of last season.

Through nine appearances this season, Murray has averaged 13.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.3 minutes per game. His shooting slash line is .431/.296/.926.

Murray earned a second-team All-Defense nod back in 2017/18 before missing the entire ’18/19 campaign due to a torn right ACL. He was also named to the All-Star team back in ’21/22, his final season with the Spurs. Murray holds career averages of 15.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 5.4 APG and 1.5 SPG on .454/.338/.796 shooting splits in 526 regular season appearances (29.3 MPG).

A theoretical Murray trade between New Orleans and Phoenix would likely include Suns guard Jalen Green for salary-matching purposes, though it’s unclear if the Pelicans would interested in taking on the former No. 2 overall pick’s contract or if he’d be any better of a fit alongside second-year guard Jeremiah Fears.