NBA Rumors: Pelicans' Trey Murphy III Suffers Knee Injury; Unclear If Surgery Needed

New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III reportedly suffered a knee injury during an offseason workout and may need surgery.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, he suffered the meniscus injury during a workout on Tuesday and will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the setback. That will reveal whether he needs surgery ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

This figures to be an important season for Murphy.

New Orleans exercised the 2023-24 club option on his contract, but he has another club option for 2024-25 ahead of potential restricted free agency. A successful stretch could put him in position to receive notable offers down the line.

The No. 17 overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft is also looking to build from the individual momentum he established during his second season in the league.

Murphy averaged 14.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from deep in 2022-23. He took a notable jump in every category from his rookie season and is a breakout candidate in 2023-24 since he is just 23 years old.

Yet a serious meniscus injury could put that in jeopardy.

Injuries are nothing new for the Pelicans after they saw Brandon Ingram play 45 games and Zion Williamson play 29 games last season. If they could remain healthy, they could be a threat to some of the top teams in the Western Conference.

An offseason injury to Murphy isn't an ideal way to start a clean bill of health for the upcoming campaign.