The fractured left hand that Dejounte Murray suffered in his Pelicans debut on Wednesday night will keep him out of action for four to six weeks, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Murray underwent successful surgery on the hand, Charania adds.
Murray injured his hand at some point in the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ victory over Chicago, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press. He didn’t talk to reporters after the game, but CJ McCollum said Murray indicated during the game that the hand was bothering him.
“He looked at me and said his hand didn’t feel right,” McCollum said. “He just continued to play. … He battled through, he played and played well considering those circumstances.”
Despite the injury, Murray was giving the Pelicans the kind of steady backcourt presence they were seeking when they acquired him in an offseason trade with Atlanta. He had 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds while turning the ball over just once.
While Murray is sidelined, more ball-handling duties are expected to be given to Zion Williamson, who frequently ran the offense last season, writes Christian Clark of NOLA. McCollum and Brandon Ingram will also see more time in that role.
“I hate it for Dejounte and our group,” coach Willie Green said. “We are kind of just getting started, just getting going. But at the same time, we understand that in this league and in life, you’re going to face adversity. The good thing about it is it’s not a long-term injury that will keep him out for a whole season.”
There’s also a financial component to Murray’s injury, Clark adds. His contract includes approximately $1.9MM in incentives that are tied to him playing at least 65 games, so they won’t be available if he misses more than 17.
New Orleans is operating slightly above the luxury tax line, so Murray’s incentives will be very important in determining whether it’s headed toward being a taxpaying team. The Pelicans would only be in the tax by about $850K if Murray doesn’t achieve any of his bonuses, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Clark points out that the Pelicans are one of two NBA franchises that have never paid the tax, so the team figures to explore cost-cutting moves whether or not Murray is able to return in time to reach the 65-game threshold. He will miss 15 games if he’s able to come back exactly four weeks from today.
Wow 4 to 6 weeks? Good for him and good for the team. Can’t get off to a slow start in the West and fall behind. He’s such a great young player I think New Orleans will need him and his production early and often.
But does that sound right, 4 to 6 weeks on a broken hand? Back in the lineup so fast?
I guessed 2 1/2 to 3 months lol. Dr Gary on line 1 answering your questions with precise expertise LOL
Obviously depends on how bad the break is but when I broke my hand (middle finger but in the palm area), it was about 4 to 6 weeks. And that was with no medical attention. By about four weeks, I was able to move it around with only a little pain but by six weeks, it was back to normal. Middle finger to this day is a little shorter than the one on the other hand, but oh well!
But will he come back before Kawhi plays a game for the Clips???
In all seriousness though, that’s gotta be a relief for the team to hear. The West is def gonna be tight this year and they need their best players to make it to the playoffs.
Honestly I was expecting him to be out for way longer
Good news for him and NOP. They need him in there to lead this group to a new (better) identity. Not sure if surgery and 4 week return can be reconciled, but hope they are.