Dejounte Murray Sets Ambitious Goal For Self, Pelicans After a Successful Comeback from Achilles Injury

· Yahoo Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans may have missed the playoffs again last season, but there were still plenty of positives to take away. Dejounte Murray returned with flying colors after missing significant time, the team had a promising group of rookies, and Zion Williamson became more available throughout the season.

The Pelicans finished the 2025-26 season in 11th place, 11 games behind a play-in spot.

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Regardless of how the season ended, most of their fans felt satisfied with what they saw and are now looking forward to the next one.

Major changes took place within the team this summer. They hired a new head coach in Jamahl Mosley, who coached the Orlando Magic for five seasons. They also added a new scorer in Bennedict Mathurin, who signed a two-year deal with a player option for the second year.

There are new faces on the roster, but the old core will remain at the center of everything. Their goal, however, will be different, too.

Murray said the Pelicans will no longer be content with simply making the play-in tournament. They will set their sights higher and aim for a playoff spot.

“Get to the playoffs, not the play-in. So obviously a lot of great things come with being one of those top six teams to get in the playoffs,” he told Clutch Points’ Tomer Azarly when asked about his goal for the team next season.

Feb 9, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray hugs New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears (0) after the game against the Sacramento Kings at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

“Obviously we got this new play-in thing in the NBA where if you’re the 7th, 8th, 9th, or 10th seed, you got to battle out for that 7th, 8th spot. . . . if you’re a top six team in the NBA, then you guys are all doing something really well individually. So the main goal is to keep it team-first.

The last time the Pelicans reached the playoffs was in the 2023-2024 season, before Murray’s arrival. They haven’t gone the first round since 2018.

Dejounte Murray’s personal goal

Murray is motivated, and much of that motivation stems from missing most of the games during his first season with the Pelicans.

The one-time All-Star joined New Orleans in the summer of 2024 following an underwhelming stint with the Atlanta Hawks. He was regarded as one of the league’s top guards before joining Atlanta, but his partnership with Trae Young did not lead to the kind of success many expected.

Murray has a team goal, but it will also be fueled by his personal mission.

“I mean, I just always carry a chip on my shoulder. I’m also a confident person. So any room I walk in, it doesn’t matter who’s in it, I know I belong,” he said in the same interview.

Mar 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

“Whatever conversation that is. If I’m listening as a sponge or I’m speaking of anything in my knowledge of power. And other than that, like I said, I don’t live my life worrying about proving anybody else right or wrong besides myself.”

The Pelicans will bring in a young core next season. Aside from Murray and Williamson, they also have one-time champion Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, Yves Missi, and incoming sophomores and lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.

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