Following New Orleans Pelicans star guard Dejounte Murray’s encouraging comments about his Achilles recovery, ESPN’s Shams Charania has provided an estimated timeline for his return.
Murray suffered a torn right Achilles tendon on Jan. 31, cutting his first season with New Orleans short after just 31 appearances. The one-time All-Star underwent season-ending surgery on Feb. 5, with the timing of his injury casting doubt on his availability for the first few months of the 2025-26 campaign.
However, Murray turned heads at Tuesday’s Media Day by confidently detailing his status, fueling optimism about a potential early comeback.
What Is Dejounte Murray’s Tentative Return Date?
On Wednesday’s edition of “NBA Today,” Charania and Co. reacted to Murray’s assertive Media Day remarks about his rehabilitation efforts paying off.
“I could run ten down-and-backs in probably 57 seconds, and this is just from all the work,” Murray said. “I think I could beat a lot of guys one-on-one right now, if I’m just being honest with you. And that’s just the confidence, that’s the work I’ve been doing.
“Like I said, six days a week, twice a day, but the beauty of it is, there’s no rush. I don’t feel rushed by nobody. Everybody’s on board, and like I said, I’m just having fun.”
When asked when Murray could suit up again, the NBA insider identified early January as his most likely return date.
“He’s making progress. He’s doing a lot better. Every single day, he’s doing a little bit more,” Charania reported. “But this is an injury that occurred late in January, the surgery for this Achilles tear was early February. So, I would look at right after New Year’s, that New Year’s area, as to where Dejounte Murray can start to pinpoint when he could make his return.”
Shams:
“He’s making progress. He’s doing a lot better. Every single day, he’s doing a little bit more. I would look at right after New Years as to where Dejounte Murray can start to pinpoint when he could make his return” pic.twitter.com/jrxckvqXAq
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) September 24, 2025
Nevertheless, as Murray and Pelicans coach Willie Green noted, the team “won’t push” him to come back too soon. In the meantime, Green views Murray’s rehab as an opportunity for him to continue to mature as a leader from the sidelines.
“Right now, it’s about his leadership. Even though he’s not playing, he’ll be leading and he’ll be in practices with the guys,” Green told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “Then when he’s ready, that’ll be a discussion that happens a little later.”
In Murray’s absence, offseason acquisition Jordan Poole and 2025 No. 7 draft pick Jeremiah Fears are projected to receive increased ball-handling duties on the Zion Williamson-led squad.
New Orleans will look to rebound from an injury-plagued 2024-25 campaign that saw it finish second-last in the Western Conference (21-61). Murray’s possible midseason return to form as a high-level playmaker, complementary scorer, and perimeter defender could deliver a much-needed boost to the Pelicans’ 2026 playoff hopes.
Across 31 outings last season, Murray averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.7 3-pointers per game, shooting 39.3%.
