Dejounte Murray

Lore & Background

Murray grew up in the impoverished South End area of Seattle, Washington. Throughout his upbringing, he was exposed to gun and drug violence, homelessness, and parental incarceration. Prior to high school, Murray spent time in juvenile detention. He attended Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, Washington, a basketball powerhouse that produced NBA talents such as Jamal Crawford, Doug Christie, Terrence Williams, Nate Robinson, and Kevin Porter Jr. Crawford encouraged Murray to take basketball seriously. Murray led the Vikings to three Class 3A state championships titles and was named Washington Mr. Basketball by the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association as well as The Seattle Times State Player of the Year.

Reader's Guide

Murray played one season of college basketball at the University of Washington, averaging 16.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.8 steals in 33.5 minutes while starting all 34 games. He was named second-team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. On March 23, 2016, he declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility. He was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 29th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft.

He made his NBA debut on October 29, 2016. In the 2017 playoffs, he became the fourth rookie in Spurs history to record a point/rebound double-double in a playoff game. He earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2018, becoming the then-youngest player in NBA history to be named All-Defense. He missed the entire 2018–19 season due to a torn right anterior cruciate ligament.

In October 2019, he agreed to a four-year, $64 million contract with incentives. He recorded his first career triple-double on December 26, 2020. On February 7, 2022, he was named to his first NBA All-Star team as an injury replacement for Draymond Green. On June 30, 2022, Murray was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Danilo Gallinari and multiple future first-round picks.

He made his Hawks debut on October 19, 2022. On July 9, 2023, he signed a four-year, $120 million extension through 2027–28. On March 28, 2024, he scored a career-high 44 points, including a game-winning mid-range jumpshot in a 123–122 overtime win over the Boston Celtics. On July 6, 2024, Murray was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller (via sign-and-trade), and two future first-round draft picks.

He made 31 starts for the Pelicans during the 2024–25 NBA season, averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. On January 31, 2025, he sustained a torn right Achilles tendon, ending his season. On February 24, 2026, he made his return from injury.