New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray out for season with injury

The New Orleans Pelicans suffered a major blow as the team confirmed that guard Dejounte Murray tore his right Achilles tendon, ending his season early and facing a long recovery process.

In the New Orleans Pelicans' 118-116 victory over the Boston Celtics, Murray broke through the layup and tried to fight for the rebound but suddenly fell to the ground. He grabbed the back of his right foot in pain. Since it was not caused by confrontation, it was speculated that Murray might have suffered a torn Achilles tendon.

Afterwards, Murray limped to the bench. After the game, the New Orleans Pelicans conducted an MRI on Murray, and the results confirmed that Murray's right Achilles tendon was completely torn, resulting in the end of the season.

This is not the first time that the 28-year-old Murray has suffered a major leg injury. As early as the preseason before the 2018-19 season, he missed the entire season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. At that time, Murray was still playing for the San Antonio Spurs.

Murray joined the New Orleans Pelicans through a trade from the Atlanta Hawks in the summer of 2024, signing a four-year contract worth $114.2 million. In this season's game, Murray averaged 17.5 points, 7.4 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game, showing his comprehensive ability on both offense and defense.

However, Murray is now out of the remaining games due to a serious injury, which may even affect his return in the 2025-26 season. Achilles tendon rupture usually takes up to a year to recover, and even if the recovery goes smoothly, Murray will not be able to return to the court until several months later, which means that it is still doubtful whether he can catch up with the opening game of the new season.