Dejounte Murray was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in a deal that sent forward Larry Nance Jr., guard Dyson Daniels, 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 to the Atlanta Hawks -- and while Boston Celtics reporter Jay King of The Athletic didn't judge the trade specifically, he did assess the Pels' new lineup fit as poor.
"Don’t know if the Pelicans are done dealing but pretty sure you couldn’t dream up a worse fit than Murray/McCollum/Ingram/Zion," King tweeted.
Of course, King's caveat is notable. New Orleans may not want to be done dealing, with Brandon Ingram being the most likely core member to be traded. Either way, it's clear the Pels were underwhelmed with what they had and are trying to make the final tweaks around Williamson before having to call off their current era.
New Orleans caught lightning in a bottle with two championship point guards in Boston, Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo, and Anthony Davis in 2018. If DeMarcus Cousins had remained healthy, who knows how far they could've gone. Ever since then, it's been a disappointing run with more missed games from Zion than not.
Boston Celtics reporter not wrong about Dejounte Murray's poor fit on Pelicans
Murray isn't the kind of table-setter New Orleans would ideally pair with Williamson, Ingram, and McCollum. Defensively, he's a major upgrade, but the Pels will more than likely stagnate in the fourth quarter looking for offense; getting hero-ball contributions from all four if they remain in the Big Easy through opening night.
Trading Ingram for a less ball-dominant wing is a good start. Moving McCollum would make a lot of sense too, but it's Ingram's fit besides Murray that could be the clunkiest. Ingram makes Murray a spot-up shooter and vice versa, and neither is ideal for that role.
