Be it LeBron James or a fresh-faced rookie making their debut, it always sucks when a player has to walk off injured mid-game. Doubts about them returning for the rest of the game, questions about the severity of their injury. These are not fun to think about when your team is on the court battling to get the W. And tonight, fans of the New Orleans Pelicans endured this fate as they watched Trey Murphy III walk off the court after barely a minute of play against the Detroit Pistons.

Murphy appeared to be in serious agony after diving in for a loose ball very early in the first quarter. He soon went to the locker room. And now, we have an update regarding his condition. The Pelicans promptly updated the fans that Trey will not be returning for the rest of tonight’s game against the Pistons.

The Pelicans confirmed that X-rays came back negative, so there’s no fracture in his shoulder. But even with that relief, the real concern remains—how long will he be out, and what exactly is the injury?

Recovery times for NBA players dealing with shoulder injuries can vary significantly depending on the severity of the issue. For minor injuries like shoulder subluxations, players typically return in about 3.6 weeks. However, more serious cases, such as shoulder dislocations, can extend the recovery period to around 7.6 weeks. If surgery is required, the timeline stretches much further, with an average return time of approximately 19 weeks.

While Murphy’s X-ray results are encouraging, his actual recovery will depend on the specific nature of his injury and further medical evaluations. Until then, the Pelicans will have to wait and see how long they’ll be without one of their key contributors.

One player who won’t mind the extra minutes? Jordan Hawkins. With Murphy sidelined, he’s bound to see more action. But so far, he hasn’t exactly seized the moment—finishing the third quarter with just six points and little impact on the game.

On the other hand, someone definitely frustrated by this setback? Pelicans head coach Willie Green. Murphy has been nothing short of incredible for New Orleans this season. But don’t just take our word for it—let’s break it down.

Pelicans lose one of their sole bright spots of this season after injury to Trey Murphy III

This season has not been easy for the New Orleans Pelicans. They sit near the bottom of the Western Conference. But you know what’s worse? They’re one of the four teams in the NBA right now with 50 losses already! Things haven’t gone well for Willie Green’s men.

Amidst all this, and losing Brandon Ingram to the Raptors, Trey Murphy III has stepped up massively for the Pelicans. In his 50 starts in 52 games, he’s averaged 21.6 points for his team. And by doing so, he’s shown that he is a worthy replacement for Ingram when it comes to offense. But he also picks up his slack defensively with 1.1 steals per game.

But it’s not just that, Trey is also one of the most consistent players for the Pelicans this season. As we told you, he has 50 starts so far which is the highest on the Pelicans roster after Yves Missi and CJ McCollum. But in terms of minutes played per game, no one has the edge over Murphy’s 35.6 per game.

It’s clear that Murphy is currently the second-best player on the Pelicans’ roster after Zion Williamson. CJ McCollum may dispute that notion, but you get the point. Murphy has shone brightly during a dark time in New Orleans. Let’s just hope this injury does nothing to dull him when he’s back in action for the Pelicans!