The talented two-way winger for the New Orleans Pelicans is considered a “rising star” in the NBA

There are plenty of reasons to be excited for the New Orleans Pelicans as the 2024-25 NBA regular season begins in just over a week.

They significantly improved their backcourt, acquiring Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks in a blockbuster trade. He should be helpful on both ends of the court as his playmaking will be a boon for a team that hasn’t used a traditional point guard for most of the 2023-24 season.

Brandon Ingram, who has been involved in numerous trade rumors in recent months, has been a bright spot in practice. He’s reportedly bought in, performing well and hoping for a long-term contract extension.

Zion Williamson is in the best shape of his life and motivated to take the next step in his career. He reached the All-Star level once; Can he stay healthy and compete for an All-NBA spot this season?

But there is one player in particular to watch for the Pelicans this season; Trey Murphy.

The 2021 first-round pick has shown signs of being ready for an expanded role. When Williamson was ruled out for the 2024 NBA Playoffs, it was the talented two-way winger who Willie Green named as his replacement in the starting lineup.

Murphy faced a heavy workload, playing 42 minutes per game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This many minutes won’t be played in the regular season, but it’s clear New Orleans is ready to play even more. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton has been waiting for his promotion since last year.

“Murphy, one of two players we predicted could reach this year’s NBA rankings in 2023 as well, showed slight improvement in his per-game averages across the board and played a key role in the Pelicans’ return to action the playoffs.” Injuries limited Murphy to 57 games, and a quick exit from the playoffs kept him out of the top 100 that season. I’m betting on Murphy again, even though he’s already struggling with a hamstring strain in pre-season. At some point, Murphy’s combination of shooting ability and size will land him a full-time starting role that will attract the attention of the NBA rankings,” the basketball expert wrote.

The Virginia product will be re-evaluated next Wednesday, three weeks after the injury occurred. He will likely miss the start of the season again, but his strengths and talent are enticing.

Murphy has the prototypical size that NBA teams look for in their wingers. The modern game is shifting more and more towards positionless basketball, an atmosphere in which it can thrive.

Health is the only thing really stopping him from breaking out. Ingram’s presence on the roster remains a slight obstacle, but the franchise appears ready to unleash the talented Murphy on the rest of the league.