Dejounte Murray’s debut with the New Orleans Pelicans could be his only game for a while.
There are concerns the offseason trade acquisition may have fractured his left hand during the Pelicans’ season-opening win over the Chicago Bulls, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. More testing is likely underway before the team sets a timetable.
The injury appeared to occur late in the fourth quarter, with New Orleans leading 119-107. He landed off-balance after Bulls guard Zach LaVine burst into his landing spot, leading to a hard fall with his hands supporting him.
Murray committed a foul, but was clearly in pain. He still shot his free throws and stayed in the game until the next minute.
Murray scored 14 points on 4-of-15 shooting with 10 assists, eight rebounds, a steal and a turnover. a 123-111 victory.
The Pelicans traded for Murray in Junesending two first-round picks, center Larry Nance Jr. and guard Dyson Daniels to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for a versatile and talented guard that Atlanta never seemed to have success with.
Murray seemed like a good fit in the backcourt alongside CJ McCollum, but the Pelicans might now have to wait a while before really seeing him in action.