Dejounte Murray Requests Trade From Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray has requested a trade, and team officials and his agent, Rich Paul, are working toward fulfilling the request, according to ESPN reporting cited Friday. No trade has been reported as completed.

Murray, 30, is in his third season with New Orleans and is earning $32.8 million this season. His contract includes a $30.8 million player option for next season. In nine games this season, he is averaging 13.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists. He has been sidelined by a left ankle sprain.

The trade request follows a difficult stretch for the Pelicans, who have lost four straight and stood at 4-8 in the report. New Orleans lost 145-111 at home to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. After the game, Murray responded to a post on X about the team’s record with him on the court compared with its record without him, accusing someone of “sabotage.” He later deleted the post.

Murray also posted a separate response to a clip of a turnover intended for teammate Saddiq Bey. In it, he criticized Bey’s positioning and said fans should ask players individually how they felt about the team. That post was also deleted. The accusations reflect Murray’s own...