Dejounte Murray is out for Thursday's game against the Kings for personal reasons. The winless Pelicans lose their lead playmaker, and Jordan Poole and Yves Missi are also out.
What happened
The Pelicans listed Dejounte Murray as out on the injury report filed at 6:31 PM ET Thursday, Oct. 29. The reason is personal. He had not been on the report before this. Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans' official site reported that Murray will miss Thursday's game against the Kings. No other details have been announced. This is not related to his earlier injury. Murray was day-to-day with a right toe issue on Oct. 8 and was cleared on Oct. 19.
What it means for the Pelicans
New Orleans hosts the Kings at 8:00 PM ET Thursday. The Pelicans are 0-4, have lost four straight and sit 14th. Murray has played in all four games. He is averaging 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 32.3 minutes. They have not played a game without him yet. Jeremiah Fears, at 22.9 minutes and 9.0 points a game, is the obvious guard to take on more of the ball. Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson and Saddiq Bey already play big minutes. Yves Missi and Jordan Poole are also out, so the bench gets even thinner.
What to watch
The injury report lists Saturday, Oct. 31 as Murray's expected return date. The team has not announced anything beyond that. Watch the next report to see whether he is cleared. Tonight, the focus is on how the Pelicans handle the ball without Murray and Poole, and whether Fears gets the start. Missi's return is the other open question for the frontcourt rotation. A fifth straight loss would leave them deeper at the bottom of the standings.
Is Dejounte Murray playing vs the Kings on Thursday?
No. He is listed as out for personal reasons for Thursday's 8:00 PM ET game against the Kings.
When will Dejounte Murray be back?
The injury report lists his expected return as Saturday, Oct. 31. The team has not confirmed a return date.