Did Dejounte Murray Trade Request Give NY Knicks an Escape Option From Mikal Bridges’ Contract?

November 14, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

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With the New York Knicks having no obvious way out of Mikal Bridges’ bad contract, New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray may have just given them a potential escape route.

This has not been the start that was expected for the Knicks’ first title defense in over 50 years. While they are giving up the second-fewest points in the NBA (103.5) and have been dominant on the boards, even after losing Mitchell Robinson in the summer, they own a 6-6 record following a surprising loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.

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A key reason for their early-season struggles is an offense that is scoring the sixth-fewest points in the NBA. A key element of their bad start on O is Mikal Bridges having the worst opening to a season of his nine-year career. After a few weeks, he is averaging just 6.9 points a night — and that is after an 18-point game on Friday. He is shooting 37% from the field and an awful 29% from three.

New York Knicks may have a way out of Mikal Bridges problem

Oct 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) celebrates his three point shot against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Bridges has been plain bad and is still owed three more seasons and over $115 million — 2029-30 is a player option worth $41.5 million. In a perfect world, the Knicks would probably like to move him in a trade. Especially since getting him off the books would make it easier to give Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart new extensions instead of possibly losing one of them over the next couple of years.

Unfortunately, trading Bridges is close to impossible because of how much he is owed and how bad he is playing. Yet, a glimmer of hope arrived on Friday when the Pelicans revealed that guard Dejounte Murray has requested a trade from the 4-9 team.

Since arriving in New Orleans two years ago, Murray has been snakebit and not the same player who earned All-Star honors in 2021-22. He hasn’t been as good a fit as the Pelicans hoped, and there are questions about whether the 30-year-old can be the player he once was after rupturing his Achilles tendon early last year.

Why the NY Knicks should consider a Dejounte Murray trade

Nov 6, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) warms up before the game against Minnesota Timberwolves at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

There would certainly be risk if the Knicks traded for Murray. There have also been concerns about him creating locker room issues in the past, and there are the aforementioned worries about a downturn in his game. Plus, he does not make the defensive impact Bridges does. However, he is simply a far better offensive player than the Knicks guard.

Murray has always been a talented scorer, but he is an above-average rebounder for a guard — his 5.8 career average is two higher than Bridges — and is a very good ball handler who has averaged 5.4 assists for his career — three more than Bridges. Another good ball handler could help the Knicks’ struggling offense. But most importantly, if it doesn’t work, he has a $30 million player option for next season that he will probably decline to get a multi-year deal in the summer.

While their contracts match up perfectly, would the Pelicans take Bridges and the $115 million he is still owed? It is very possible. While they would need him to get back to his previous heights, in a bigger offensive role it would not be a surprise if he was again a guy scoring around 20 points a game like he was before he was traded to the Knicks. Plus, he is a high-character player, and that would be a big plus in a messy Pelicans locker room at the moment.

In the end, the Knicks would prefer Bridges finds his way out of his deep slump. However, if he can’t, a Dejounte Murray trade could be a benefit in the short term and offer long-term cap flexibility.

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