Dejounte Murray’s New Orleans Pelicans debut might be his only game for a while.
The offseason trade acquisition fractured his left hand in the Pelicans’ season-opening win over the Chicago Bulls and he will miss the next four-to-six weeks after undergoing surgery, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The injury appeared to occur late in the fourth quarter, when New Orleans was up 119-107. He landed off balance after Bulls guard Zach LaVine intruded on his landing spot, resulting in a hard fall with his hands bracing him.
Murray drew a foul, but was in clear pain. He still shot his free throws and remained in the game until the one-minute mark.
Murray posted 14 points on 4-of-15 shooting with 10 assists, eight rebounds, one steal and one turnover in a 123-111 win.
The Pelicans traded for Murray in June, sending two first-round draft picks, center Larry Nance Jr. and guard Dyson Daniels to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for a versatile and talented guard with whom Atlanta never seemed to make it work.
Murray seemed like a decent fit in the backcourt alongside C.J. McCollum, but the Pelicans could now have to wait a while before they get a real look at him in game action.