Trey Murphy Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Impact Of Pelicans’ Injury Woes Could Carry Over To 2025/26

March 19th, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Health issues derailed the Pelicans‘ 2024/25 season almost before it began. Trey Murphy and Zion Williamson weren’t available when the season tipped off, top offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray broke his hand on opening night, and it only got worse from there, with injuries eventually affecting virtually every starter and rotation player on the roster.

Through 69 games, only one player – rookie Yves Missi – has made more than 53 total appearances for the Pelicans (Missi has made 64).

New Orleans’ division rivals in Memphis are proving that a would-be contender devastated by injuries in one season can get back on track with better health luck the following year. After winning 50+ plus games in back-to-back seasons, the Grizzlies were hit hard by injuries in 2023/24 and won just 27 games. This year, they’re on pace to exceed 50 wins again.

A bounce-back season in 2025/26 is obviously the hope in New Orleans, where the club appeared to be on the rise after winning 49 games in 2023/24. But there’s a chance that the team’s injury woes this year will have an impact on the ’25/26 team, writes William Guillory of The Athletic.

In fact, that’s a near certainty in the case of Murray, who tore his Achilles tendon in late January. The expectation is that the veteran guard will miss time to open next season — Guillory hears from team sources that Murray may not be back on the floor until sometime after the calendar turns to 2026.

According to Guillory, there have also been some “rumblings” about the possibility that forward Herbert Jones, who underwent shoulder surgery last month, won’t be ready for the start of the 2025/26 campaign. That’s still to be determined. Jones’ return date will depend on how his rehab progresses this offseason, Guillory writes.

The Pelicans announced this week that Murphy has suffered a season-ending shoulder injury of his own. He was diagnosed with a torn labrum and a partial tear of the rotator cuff.

Murphy’s recovery timeline remains unclear and figures to hinge on how severe his injury is determined to be and whether or not it requires surgery, says Guillory. It’s not a lock that the fourth-year wing will be back to 100% by training camp.

The Pelicans still “strongly believe” in their core of Williamson, Murray, Murphy, and Jones, according to Guillory, but even if the front office keeps that group together through the summer, it may be quite a while before that quartet is on the court together.

Pelicans’ Murphy To Miss Rest Of Season With Shoulder Injury

March 18th, 2025 at 6:54am CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans wing Trey Murphy has been diagnosed with a torn labrum and partial tear of the rotator cuff in his right shoulder, the team announced late on Monday night (via Twitter). Murphy underwent an MRI to confirm the diagnosis.

The injury occurred less than one minute into Monday’s blowout loss to Detroit. Murphy had a pass knocked away by Pistons wing Ausar Thompson on the Pelicans’ opening possession and dove on the floor trying to corral the loose ball (video link). He stayed down in obvious pain, grabbing at his shoulder, which was dislocated on the play, per the club.

Murphy will miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season as a result of the injury.

The Pelicans are well out of postseason contention at this point, so Murphy’s absence for the final few weeks of the season won’t compromise their ability to contend. Still, it’s the latest setback in what has been a brutal, injury-plagued year for the franchise.

Virtually all of New Orleans’ key players missed significant time as a result of some sort of health issue this season, with Murphy the third starter to suffer a season-ending injury — Dejounte Murray tore his Achilles tendon in late January, while Herbert Jones underwent surgery in February to address a shoulder injury similar to Murphy’s.

The Pelicans didn’t offer any additional updates on Murphy’s treatment plan or recovery timeline, so it’s unclear if and when he’ll undergo surgery and how much time it might take him to get back to 100%. The club stated that further updates will be shared as appropriate.

Although it has been a forgettable season in New Orleans, it was a career year statistically for Murphy, who increased his scoring average to 21.1 points per game while also setting career highs in rebounds (5.1) and assists (3.5) per game. The fourth-year swingman started 51 of the 53 games he played in ’24/25, posting a shooting line of .454/.361/.887.

Murphy signed a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension with the Pelicans last offseason. That contract will go into effect for the 2025/26 league year.

Pelicans’ Trey Murphy Discusses Breakout Season, Zion, More

March 6th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

It has largely been a season to forget for the Pelicans, who hold the fourth-worst record in the NBA in part due to a crushing — and seemingly never-ending — wave of injuries. However, one silver lining has been the standout play of Trey Murphy.

The 24-year-old is posting career highs in virtually every major statistic in 2024/25, including points (21.7), rebounds (5.2), assists (3.8), steals (1.2), blocks (0.7), and minutes (35.6) per game through 46 appearances.

Murphy, who signed a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension in October (it begins in ’25/26), recently discussed a number of topics in an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. Here are a few highlights.

On his breakout season:

“I’m just trying to get better. I’m understanding that I’m still young and have a long career ahead of me. I just want to build good habits and develop my game. That’s been the biggest thing this season, especially with all the injuries and stuff like that. Those are things we can’t control. The biggest things we can control now is just developing my game and finding ways to get better. … When guys go down, people feel like they have to elevate their roles. So they have to shoot more. I feel like, especially the last three weeks, that my assist numbers have been going up. We’re seeing different coverages. My threat to score has been the biggest thing for me.”

On his nine-figure contract extension:

“It means a lot. Being able to secure generational wealth is great as well as being able to take care of my family. It shows that they believe in me. It means a lot. So it makes me want to continue to work hard and prove them right on their investment.”

On being encouraged by how Zion Williamson responded following a one-game suspension for reportedly missing a team flight and being late for multiple practices:

“He’s been really good. He’s been really good. I’ve seen a big step from him, maturity-wise. It’s been great to see. … Overall, the biggest thing is that he’s been leading by example. He’s been stepping up defensively and talking. He’s sharing the ball offensively. He’s been a complete player.”

On learning from CJ McCollum:

“CJ is probably the person that I look up to the most when it comes to basketball-related things. When I’m his age, I want to be in the position that he’s in with still being super-efficient and still a pro’s pro and is about his business. He has really shown me a lot about the business on and off the court. I’m very appreciative of him. … With how he carries himself, he’s very about taking care of business and making sure to keep the main thing the main thing.”

Murphy’s interview with Medina also touches on how he and the team have dealt with injuries, his close relationship with Brandon Ingram, and how he’s developing into a vocal leader, among other topics. It’s worth reading in full if you’re a fan of the Pelicans and/or Murphy.

Southwest Notes: Fox, Mavericks, Gafford, Murphy, Murray

February 5th, 2025 at 5:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hours before making his Spurs debut tonight in Atlanta, De’Aaron Fox already seemed comfortable with his new team, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN. San Antonio was Fox’s preferred destination when he informed the Kings that he wasn’t interested in extending his contract beyond 2026. At this morning’s shootaround, Fox talked about the chance to team up with Victor Wembanyama and join an organization loaded with young talent.

“It’s a very unique opportunity,” he said. “Not many guys come around like that. And I think it’s not just him, but everybody else. With the way they’re built, with the athleticism, with the length that they have and also the youth, I just felt like this could be a special team. I felt like the fit would be spectacular, and I feel like I have a lot of years left to play. Some people say you kind of expedited [San Antonio’s development] process. But you look at a team like [Oklahoma City], where outside of Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) and I think outside of (Alex Caruso), everybody else is pretty much on a rookie contract. I feel like we can do the same thing.”

Fox will now be an important part of that equation. He received a text from a member of the Spurs’ organization on Monday talking about the need to overcome “dry spells” as the team’s offense bogged down during a loss to Memphis. Fox is regularly one of the league’s best crunch-time scorers, which will be a welcome addition to a San Antonio team that’s just 9-11 in clutch games this season.

“Excited to see what it looks like,” new teammate Chris Paul said. “I’ve known Fox for a while. To get a chance to play alongside him, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks are offering refunds to angry fans who canceled their season tickets over the Luka Doncic trade, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Several fans staged a protest Sunday outside American Airlines Center, with some holding up signs criticizing general manager Nico Harrison.
Mavericks center Daniel Gafford was able to practice today after hurting his shoulder in Tuesday’s game at Philadelphia, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “I’m fine. It was just obviously a scare,” he told Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “It was probably one of the worst stingers that I’ve had coming down this stretch. But it’s OK. Kind of like a shooting pain down my arm last night so it scared me because I didn’t want it to be more of a major injury than what I was expecting. It was just a regular old stinger, so I’ll be fine.”
Trey Murphy has become the second player in Pelicans history to reach 40 points in two straight games, notes Rod Walker of NOLA. He scored 24 points in the third quarter Monday night, which ties a franchise record for most points in a quarter.
Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray posted a photo from his hospital bed after undergoing surgery for a torn Achilles tendon (Twitter link). “Thank you God for a successful surgery,” Murray wrote. “Road to recovery starts now.”

Southwest Notes: Murphy, Green, Sochan, Castle, J. Smith

January 18th, 2025 at 8:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans small forward Trey Murphy has developed into more than just an outside shooting threat during his fourth NBA season, writes Rod Walker of NOLA. Murphy, who is starting regularly while Brandon Ingram is sidelined with an injury, is averaging a career-high 21.5 points per game this season. He has also improved other aspects of his game, posting career-best numbers for rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.

“I probably would have identified him as playing more like a specialist a year ago,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “But I see his game expanding, which I see as a great sign for the Pelicans and (coach) Willie (Green). Trey is a heckuva player. He’s an elite shooter and you can tell the shooting has added confidence in the rest of his game.”

Walker notes that Murphy has scored at least 30 points in two of the last four games. He has also collected 10 rebounds twice, one short of his career high, and saved two games with late defensive plays — a steal against Chicago and a block against Dallas. In addition, he set a franchise record by making 52 straight free throws before that streak ended Friday night.

“The sky’s the limit,” Dejounte Murray said. “It’s all about opportunity in the NBA. He got his opportunity and he’s not playing with it. He’s showing that he works at his game. He’s showing that he’s a confident guy and he’s also showing that he’s down for the challenge and opportunity.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks are among the teams with interest in Pelicans veteran Javonte Green, sources tell Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). Dallas is exploring available wings on the trade market, Afseth adds, and Green is appealing because he can provide help on both ends of the court. A report earlier today said numerous teams are eyeing Green, who could be acquired via the minimum salary exception.
Jeremy Sochan has been ruled out of Sunday’s game at Miami, but the Spurs expect him back on the court soon, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Acting coach Mitch Johnson said Friday that Sochan is “doing great” and is “very close” to returning from a back bruise. Rookie guard Stephon Castle, who replaced Sochan in the starting lineup, is averaging 23 PPG over his last three games. “As a group, we feel confident in the poise that he has and we trust him to go make those plays,” Harrison Barnes said of Castle. “They’re going to put differing matchups on him or whatever, but we him to be aggressive and we need to play offense through him at times.”
Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. has decided against having surgery on his fractured left hand, coach Ime Udoka told reporters before tonight’s game (Twitter link from Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). Udoka adds that letting the injury heal naturally may add a week or so to the recovery process.

Southwest Notes: Zion, Murphy, Tate, Jackson, Williams

January 11th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans sent a message to Zion Williamson by making his one-game suspension public, writes Rod Walker of NOLA. Walker explains that the team could have opted to simply keep Williamson on the bench for another night, just as it did for Wednesday’s game, without providing an explanation.

Instead, Williamson was suspended for Friday’s contest at Philadelphia, reportedly after showing up late for Thursday’s flight. There have also been reports of other violations, such as being late for multiple practices.

“There were several occasions that led up to this,” coach Willie Green confirmed. “That’s how we got to this decision.”

Walker adds that New Orleans needs a strong second half of the season from Williamson, who provided hope with 22 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block in 28 minutes as he returned Tuesday following a lengthy absence. Williamson seemed to be in excellent physical condition, which Walker notes has often been an issue during his six NBA seasons.

“The focus I had during this rehab was a bit more extreme,” Williamson said. “That’s why my legs are already under me. I feel like I didn’t miss a beat, but gained a beat. Now I don’t have to worry about trying to find a rhythm. … Just learning more and more about my body and how my body reacts to certain things.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

After missing the past three games with a sprained left ankle, Trey Murphy is expected to play Sunday at Boston (Twitter link from the Pelicans). Assuming they’re all active, it will be the first game for Murphy, Williamson and Dejounte Murray together as teammates, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. Murray is listed as questionable due to right elbow tendonitis and a right shin contusion.
Injuries to Jabari Smith and Tari Eason have opened up rotation minutes over the past two weeks for veteran forward Jae’Sean Tate, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. Tate, who has been with the Rockets since the start of their rebuild, enables the team to keep a strong defensive lineup on the court at all times. “It’s definitely always fun to play, but at the end of the day, we want to win as many games as we can,” he said. “We are dealing with a couple injuries right now, and we just have to have that next man up (mentality) until we get our guys back. So until that happens, I’m ready, and we’ll see what happens.”
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said at today’s pregame session with reporters that he’s hoping to have both GG Jackson and Vince Williams back before the end of the month (Twitter video link from Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com). Jackson hasn’t played this season as he recovers from foot surgery, while Williams has been out with a sprained right ankle since mid-November.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Grizzlies, Jackson, Wemby, Pelicans

January 9th, 2025 at 10:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant made his return from injury on Thursday, as first announced by the team (Twitter link). Morant missed five games with an AC joint injury.

The Grizzlies went 2-3 without Morant, who is averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. He finished with 27 points in a narrow loss to the Rockets in his return.

Morant wasn’t the only Grizzlies player back in action on Thursday, as Santi Aldama and Desmond Bane also made their returns. Aldama missed six games with an ankle injury, while Bane was only absent for Monday’s game against Dallas.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Grizzlies got more good news on the injury front, as GG Jackson was assigned to the Memphis Hustle for practice on Thursday (Twitter link via team). That means Jackson has practiced for three straight days, twice with the Hustle and once with the Grizzlies. Jackson hasn’t played at all this season after suffering an offseason foot injury, but was a bright spot last year when the Grizzlies were decimated by injuries, as he averaged 14.6 points while shooting 35.7% from deep as a rookie. He was elevated from a two-way contract to a standard deal after being the No. 45 pick in the 2023 draft.
Victor Wembanyama is establishing himself as the league’s best defender, with plenty of room to grow at 21 years old, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. He’s leading the NBA in blocks by a wide margin. “It just strikes fear in opponents’ hearts,” Julian Champagnie said. “That’s the best part about it. It’s like, yeah, he’s tall. He almost blocks every shot that comes his way. So anybody who’s going to the basket, you got that little double-take to see where he’s at.” In another article by Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News, players talked about what it takes to approach a defender like Wembanyama.
After suffering a shoulder sprain, Pelicans forward Herbert Jones will miss Friday’s game against the Sixers, Will Guillory of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Trey Murphy will miss his third straight game with an ankle sprain.

Pelicans Notes: Murphy, McCollum, Trade Rumors

January 5th, 2025 at 4:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The reeling Pelicans continue to have trouble involving guard Trey Murphy III in the second halves of games, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. In one recent game against the Clippers, Murphy made just one bucket in the second half.

“Teams are making adjustments and they’re all over Trey,” head coach Willie Green said. “He’s doing a good job of continuing to play. When they guard him like they do, it allows other guys to be able to drive, to be able to get to the basket. The game opened up a bit more for CJ (McCollum) because of the gravity and attention they’re putting on Trey.”

There’s more out of New Orleans:

McCollum helped New Orleans end an 11-game losing streak by tying his career high of 50 points in a 132-120 win against the Wizards on Friday, writes Walker in another piece. “CJ was fantastic,” Green said. “His professionalism off the court gives him an opportunity to step on the floor day in and day out and perform at a high level. … He had it going and we just wanted to continue getting the ball to him.” McCollum’s inspirational on-court achievement came in the wake of a devastating New Year’s Day terror attack in the city, as William Guillory of The Athletic writes.“Hopefully, it’s given people some hope, some joy,” Green said. “Maybe getting away from the difficulties we’ve all been facing the past day or so.”
For now, McCollum claims to be unfazed by potential trade rumors during what’s looking like a lost season for the Pelicans, per Pelicans Film Room (Twitter video link). “After my third year, [The Ringer’s] Bill Simmons had me getting traded every week,” McCollum said (hat tip to Reice Shipley of Awful Announcing for the find). “This team values me and I’m sure other teams value me. I like the city. My wife likes the city. My kids are happy here… My value is going to be exactly where it needs to be.”
In case you missed it, reserve Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado made his return to action Friday after a 23-game absence.

Trade Rumors: Butler, C. Johnson, Nets, Grizzlies, Pelicans

January 3rd, 2025 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The rest of the NBA is watching the standoff between the Heat and Jimmy Butler with “their popcorn out,” according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link), who notes that team president Pat Riley doesn’t make a habit of deferring to his star players, operating with a “bluntness and strength” that’s somewhat atypical of team executives in this era.

“You cannot intimidate Pat Riley,” one prominent player agent said to ESPN.

As Windhorst details, Riley let longtime franchise star Dwyane Wade walk over a contract dispute in free agency in 2016 and reportedly shut down LeBron James when the star forward hinted he wanted head coach Erik Spoelstra replaced back in 2010. If the longtime Heat president approaches the Butler situation with a similar mindset, he’s not likely to grant the 35-year-old’s trade request if he doesn’t like what Miami is getting in return.

“The Heat make mistakes and sometimes have issues with players just like everyone else,” one general manager told Windhorst. “But they do not get pushed around.”

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN points out within the same story, under the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, it’s not necessarily the worst outcome to have a maximum-salary free agent walk away for nothing. The Clippers took that route with Paul George this past offseason, opting for additional cap flexibility rather than taking back contracts that they didn’t want and would’ve had trouble moving. If the trade offers for Butler are underwhelming, the Heat may decide that’s the best path for them too.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

While Cameron Johnson is among the most coveted trade targets in the NBA, talks involving the Nets forward are expected to be more complex than the ones for Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Windhorst, so they’ll take more time. There will be more suitors in play for Johnson, and Brooklyn has made it clear the price will be higher than it was for its other veterans. As Windhorst writes, the Nets have expressed a belief that Johnson could be a long-term keeper, since he’d fit well alongside just about any impact player they’re able to land in the coming years. Still, at least one rival executive believes that stance may just be a negotiating tactic. “That’s all good to say, but they’ll trade him if they get what they want,” the exec said. “They like him as a player and a person and all that, but they built his contract specifically to be able to trade him by next summer.”
The bidding war between Memphis and the Lakers for Finney-Smith resulted in “hard feelings emanating” from the Grizzlies and the Nets for the way their talks played out, according to Windhorst. That doesn’t mean the two sides can’t come together for another deal – Memphis is reportedly among Johnson’s possible suitors – but it’s something worth keeping in mind ahead of February 6.
Bontemps asked several people around the NBA how many players earning more than Johnson’s $22.5MM will be traded at this season’s deadline. “Not many,” one said. Another replied, “Maybe two?” The thinking is that CBA-related restrictions will complicate moves involving players with significant cap hits.
William Guillory of The Athletic takes a closer look at the Pelicans‘ trade options, identifying Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy, and Yves Missi as the only players on the roster who are essentially untouchable this season. Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Jordan Hawkins, and Jose Alvarado aren’t technically in that group, but are also unlikely trade candidates, in Guillory’s view.

Latest On Zion, Ingram, Other Injured Pelicans

December 24th, 2024 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who has been sidelined since November 6 due to a left hamstring strain, has entered the “return to play conditioning phase” of his rehab process, according to a press release from the team.

The expectation, per the Pelicans, is that Williamson will resume practicing in full next week. He’s considered week-to-week as he nears a return to action.

The former No. 1 overall pick has been limited to just six appearances this season. He averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 31.0 minutes per game across those six outings. Although the Pelicans won just two of those six games, they’ve been significantly worse without Williamson available, winning just three of the 24 contests he has missed.

The Pelicans’ other star forward, Brandon Ingram, has been on the shelf since December 7 due to a “significant” left ankle sprain. According to today’s announcement, Ingram is still in the “early treatment and recovery phase” of his rehab and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The plan is to reevaluate him in two weeks, the team says.

New Orleans lost the game in which Ingram was injured and has subsequently dropped all six games he has missed as well.

Here are a few more injury updates from the Pelicans:

Fourth-year guard Jose Alvarado, out since Nov. 11 with a left hamstring strain, is at the same stage of his rehab as Williamson, having entered the “return to play conditioning” portion. Like Zion, Alvarado is on track to practice in full next week and will be considered week-to-week going forward.
Swingman Trey Murphy injured his left ankle in Sunday’s game vs. Denver, but the injury isn’t considered serious. He has been diagnosed with a mild left ankle sprain and will be considered day-to-day.
Rookie big man Karlo Matkovic, who last played on December 1, is in the return to play conditioning phase of his rehab from a low back disc protrusion. He’s week-to-week, according to the club.