Dejounte Murray has asked to leave the New Orleans Pelicans, with the team confirming on Friday, November 13, that his representatives had submitted a trade request.
The Pelicans said they would assess possible deals in the organisation’s interests. That makes the request official, but it does not amount to an agreed trade or establish where the 30-year-old guard will play next.
Archive photo: Dejounte Murray at the NBA All-Star Game on February 20, 2022, before his time with the Pelicans. Photo: Erik Drost, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped from the source image, resized and converted to WebP.
What the Pelicans have confirmed
In a statement published on their official website, New Orleans said: “Today, Dejounte Murray’s representatives informed us of his request to be traded.”
The team added: “We will evaluate potential trade opportunities that are in the best interest of our organization.”
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Murray’s agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, and Pelicans officials had begun working on a resolution. According to that report, Murray wants to play a significant role in meaningful basketball elsewhere.
The official statement names no trade partner, return package or deadline. Those details remain separate from the confirmed request.
Injuries have interrupted Murray’s New Orleans spell
The Pelicans acquired Murray from Atlanta in June 2024. ESPN reports that the price included two first-round picks, Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr. and E.J. Liddell.
His arrival followed a 2023-24 season in which he averaged 22.5 points, 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds for the Hawks. His time in New Orleans has been less settled: he broke a hand in the 2024 season opener, then suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in January 2025.
ESPN puts his scoring average this season at 13.4 points per game. Murray was also ruled out of Friday’s NBA Cup game against Memphis with a left ankle sprain, a status reported by both ESPN and The Associated Press.
Why his contract matters to any deal
Murray is earning $32.8 million this season and holds a $30.8 million player option for next season, according to ESPN. A player option gives him the choice over whether to take that final season of the contract.
For New Orleans, the next decision is whether an available offer meets the standard in its statement. For Murray, the request signals a wish to move; it does not itself end his Pelicans contract.
Until a deal is announced, the confirmed development is the request and the team’s willingness to evaluate opportunities, not a completed departure.
