Dejounte Murray Denies Trade Drama With Pelicans

Dejounte Murray denied asking for a trade on X, writing he was "locked in to come back" from a ruptured Achilles and never sought a change of scenery. He remained with the Pelicans through the Feb. 5 deadline and made his season debut in New Orleans' 113-109 win over Golden State, finishing with 13 points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal in about 25 minutes. After the game he said, "I've been through a lot," and sounded ready to move forward. Merlin sees a veteran focused on recovery and reputation. With last season's 17.5 points and 7.4 assists still in his ledger, New Orleans will use the rest of the campaign to test fit with rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen and decide if Murray is a building block or a trade asset.