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Pelicans' Dejounte Murray: Season debut not imminent
Rotowire
Pelicans head coach James Borrego said Sunday that Murray (Achilles) is "making a lot of progress" but doesn't appear to be close to making his season debut, Rod Walker of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. "We hope to get him back in our building here soon. He's doing a lot of work getting ready to get back here," Borrego said of Murray. "I say in the next month we'll have a little bit more clarity on where he's at. But he's made a lot of progress. Significant progress."
For his part, Murray -- who underwent surgery Feb. 5, 2025 to address his torn right Achilles tendon -- hasn't provided an update since the Pelicans' media availability day back in September regarding where he stands in his rehab program. The 29-year-old hasn't necessarily hit any snags in his recovery, but Borrego noted that he couldn't "say for sure" that Murray will play any point in 2025-26 until the Pelicans get a chance to evaluate him live on the court during practices or scrimmages. At the very least, Borrego's comment about the Pelicans hoping to have more clarity on Murray's status in the next month would seem to indicate that New Orleans isn't counting on Murray making it back before the All-Star break in mid-February. In the meantime, rookie first-round pick Jeremiah Fears will continue to serve as the Pelicans' starting point guard amid Murray's absence.
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Pelicans' Dejounte Murray: Lacking clear target date for debut
Rotowire
Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego said Dec. 19 that Murray (Achilles) is "working his tail off" in his rehab, but the veteran point guard remains without a definitive target date for his 2025-26 debut, Dylan Sanders of Roundtable.io reports. "I can't say where he is on the schedule, I wish I could be more honest about that. He's doing great is what I can say," Borrego said of Murray. "It's impressive how far he's comes, where he's at. He works extremely hard. We'll have him back soon, how soon I don't know. We're working through that right now."
It's been nearly two weeks since Borrego provided his update, and the Pelicans have yet to indicate that Murray has resumed taking part in full-contact practice, which makes it difficult to forecast how close the 29-year-old might be to playing again. Murray is working his way back from Feb. 5 surgery to address a ruptured right Achilles tendon, and though Shams Charania of ESPN reported back in late September that Murray was targeting "right after New Year's" to make his debut, it's unclear if that rough target still holds. Given his track record of production prior to his surgery, Murray still looks like a worthwhile player to stash in most deeper leagues, or in shallower leagues with larger benches or multiple injured reserve spots. However, fantasy managers should be aware that once he's finally cleared to play, Murray will likely need several games to get fully ramped up before he's given a consistent 30-plus-minute role.
Pelicans' Dejounte Murray: Could return around January
Rotowire
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Murray (Achilles) could return right after New Year's, according to Pelicans Film Room.
"He is making progress. He is doing better. Every single day, he is doing a little more," Charania said. "I would look at right after New Year's as to where Dejounte Murray could pinpoint to make his return." Recent reports regarding Murray have been positive, but it's essential to note that he'll likely face significant restrictions once he receives clearance to return. With his upside and impressive fantasy resume, however, he'll certainly be worth stashing in most formats.
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Pelicans' Dejounte Murray: Remains without return timetable
Rotowire
Murray's (Achilles) rehab is going well, but there remains no timetable for his return to action, Erin Summers of the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network reports.
Murray was diagnosed with a torn right Achilles tendon back on Jan. 31, and it remains unclear how close he is to returning to the court. The star guard figures to at least be limited in training camp this fall, though it's possible be may not be cleared to participate in any significant capacity. Until Murray is ready to suit up for the Pelicans, Jordan Poole should serve as the top point guard while rookie Jeremiah Fears and veteran Jose Alvarado fight for the backup role.
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