The New Orleans Pelicans have reached the postseason twice during head coach Willie Green's three-year tenure but have yet to win a game and were looking for ways to bolster their roster to help them secure their first playoff win under Green.
Sensing a need for a change, the Pelicans made one of the most high-profile moves of the summer by completing a trade for Dejounte Murray, with the former young star taking over as the primary ball-handling role and CJ McCollum moving into his previous off-ball role.
Green also added some experienced coaches to his staff and gave prospects the opportunity to observe them ahead of the team's first summer league game.
While players at this event will be trying to perform well enough to earn themselves a role in New Orleans next season, it's unlikely that anyone on this summer league roster will make an immediate difference.
That's why they acquired Murray, who now gives the Pelicans the top two players in steals over the past three years.
Most stolen NBA News Last 3 years:
1. Dejounte Murray (361)
2. Herb Jones (338)#Pelican pic.twitter.com/WoPrlFPvcg— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 11, 2024
Murray burst into the spotlight during the 2017-18 season while playing for the San Antonio Spurs.
He played in all but one game, averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game and earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team. That's where his reputation as a great defender came from, but after two tough years with the Atlanta Hawks people started to move away from that opinion.
The 27-year-old blamed the Hawks' philosophy on that part of the court, but there's still hope he can return to All-Star form in 2021-22, when he recorded 3.4 defensive win shares, tied for 15th in the NBA.
Pelicans fans know just how good a defender Herb Jones has been since he was selected in the second round of the 2021 draft. That translates to him being named to the All-Defensive First Team last season and finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
New Orleans currently has the best player in the league when it comes to stealing the basketball, so having these two in the same starting lineup is a scary thing for opposing teams.
