Dejounte Murray may have broken his hand in Pelicans debut

The Pelicans are worried that Combo Guard Dejounte Murraymay have broken his left hand in his regular-season debut at New Orleans on Wednesday, sources tell ESPN's Shams Charania (Twitter link).

The 6’5″ veteran was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Hawks this summer that saw New Orleans give up some depth and draft equity. Murray scored 14 points on 4 of 15 shooting from the floor and 6 of 7 shooting from the charity stripe. He also handed out 10 dimes and pulled down eight boards in the Pelicans' 123-111 victory over the Bulls.

New Orleans won 49 contests last year but was quickly swept out of the playoffs by the Thunder in the first round last spring. Making a play for Murray, the team president David Griffin decided to look at two-way talent in the backcourt. Should the injury cause a layoff, this move could return during the regular season for the Pelicans.

A former All-Star and All-Defensive team player with the Spurs, Murray struggled to find his footing during his two seasons in Atlanta as he played alongside another ball-dominant All-Star guard Trae Young. While plying his trade for the Hawks, Murray averaged 21.5 points on .462/.355/.810 shooting percentages, plus 6.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. However, the team only reached the playoffs once during his tenure.

New Orleans represented a far more balanced and longer roster for Murray, perhaps his best chance yet to at least reach the second round of the playoffs. With his health now a long-term concern this year, the Pelicans' fate is suddenly much more precarious.