Pelicans forward Trey Murphy exited Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons with a right shoulder injury after diving on the floor for a loose ball. The team later announced that X-rays on his shoulder came back negative and that he would not return to the game.
His absence comes as another brutal blow to a Pelicans squad that has been flooded with injuries to some of the most important pieces on the roster since the start of the season.
With other players out of the lineup, Murphy has taken on a bigger role in the offense, and he’s produced some of the best numbers of his career.
Entering Monday night’s home matchup, Murphy played 52 games and was averaging career-highs in points (21.6), rebounds (5.2) and assists (3.6) while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from the 3-point line.
His development has been key for the Pelicans after Murphy inked a four-year, $112 million extension last summer that cemented him as one of the building blocks in New Orleans as the team begins to make some adjustments around star forward Zion Williamson.
The financial commitment New Orleans made to Murphy played a role in the team’s decision to trade former All-Star Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors last month. While the Pelicans have struggled most of the season en route to their putrid 18-50 record, Williamson and Murphy have shown flashes of promise as the new star tandem in New Orleans.
With only 13 games left on the schedule after Monday’s tilt with Detroit, Murphy’s status for the rest of the season may come into question depending on the severity of his shoulder injury.
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