NEW ORLEANS – David Griffin said that the New Orleans Pelicans would be aggressive this offseason in trying to improve, and so far he’s lived up to his word.
Just hours after introducing the team’s newest draft selections to the media, the Pelicans sent Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, and a pair of first-round draft picks to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for 2022 All-Star guard Dejounte Murray.
ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the deal.
Murray was traded by the San Antonio Spurs to the Hawks following the 2022 campaign. In two seasons with the Hawks, he appeared in 152 games, averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.
Last season, he set career-highs in scoring average (22.5) and made three-pointers (201). In Atlanta, Murray embraced the outside shot. After making 215 three-pointers in his first five seasons, he’s knocked down 334 over the last two. He joins CJ McCollum (2x) and Trey Murphy as one of three Pelicans to make at least 200 triples in a season.
The Pelicans lose a fan favorite in Nance. Larry Nance Jr. embraced New Orleans from the moment he arrived along with CJ McCollum during the second half of the 2021-22 season. Nance had memorable moments in helping the Pelicans advance to the playoffs twice but was also hampered by injuries. When healthy, Nance is an athletic big capable of finishing around the basket and defending multiple frontcourt spots. He often served as an undersized center in the Pels’ small-ball lineups.
Daniels was the team’s 2022 first-round draft pick and has distinguished himself on the defensive end. However, Daniels has had trouble finding his way offensively. He’ll get that opportunity with the Hawks.
New Orleans also gives away a 2025 first-round pick via the Los Angeles Lakers and the least favorable of a 2027 first-round pick from either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Pelicans.
With the trade, the Pelicans seek to address one of their greatest weaknesses in the David Griffin era, the starting point guard position. McCollum had been miscast in the role, and Murray is a proven distributor. During his final season with San Antonio, he averaged 9.2 assists per game.
The Pelicans got better, but they also got smaller. Both Daniels and Nance measured at 6-foot-8. With their departures, rookie Yves Missi is the only player on the roster taller than 6-10. Centers Jonas Valanciunas and Cody Zeller are both free agents, leaving 6-6 Zion Williamson and 6-9 Jeremiah Robinson-Earl as the only remaining bigs.
New Orleans has made its first move.
Fans can’t wait to see what’s next.
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Love this trade…if we can use BI to get a stretch 5 like Jonathan Isaac and another front court bench piece, this would be a great offseason.
Think of a starting lineup of Murray, CJ, Herb, Zion, and Isaac with Trey as our 6th man for one more year