The New Orleans Pelicans have announced that forward Trey Murphy III is out for the season with a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
Murphy suffered the injury in the first quarter of the Pelicans home loss to the Detroit Pistons. While diving for a loose ball against Pistons forward Ausar Thompson, Murphy dislocated his shoulder and exited the game. The Pelicans would go on to lose the game in a 127-81 blowout.
Murphy’s loss is a major one for New Orleans, as the forward was in the middle of a breakout season. The young forward proved to be more than a three-and-D role player this season and had an uptick in volume and playing time, which resulted in career-high averages across the board with 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.7 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game.
The Pelicans have had a disappointing season, with a team record of 18-51, which currently sits at 14th in the Western Conference and eliminated from the NBA playoffs. The Pelicans have struggled to keep players on the floor all season, with three players out for the regular season, including star guard Dejonte Murray and forward Herbert Jones rounding out the list. Forward and former number-one overall pick Zion Williamson has been healthy as of late, but only played 29 games so far this season.
The Pelicans have lost eight of their last nine games, but that’s not the players fault. Injuries happen and if there isn’t consistency in playing together, no team can overcome it. With 13 games left in the regular season, the Pelicans have nothing to do but finish out the year and get healthy for the 2025-26 season.
New Orleans will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road on March 19th.
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