The New Orleans Pelicans have announced Dejounte Murray has injured his left hand and will be sidelined indefinitely, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The point guard, who was acquired by New Orleans this offseason, suffered the injury during the Pelicans’ opening night win against the Chicago Bulls. 

According to Charania, tests have confirmed the injury to the former 1-time all-star. It was initially reported that the Pelicans ‘feared’ that Murray might have injured his hand after experiencing discomfort in it in the second half. Now, those fears were deemed to be true and could be a setback for the Pelicans, who also missed star forward Zion Williamson due to illness.

ANALYSIS: This is a huge blow to the Pelicans in the tough and deep Western Conference. New Orleans brought Murray in to be the main playmaker for the team that features scorers like Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum and also be a closer for the team in clutch situations.

Murray had a very good game against the Bulls, tallying 14 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds with only 1 turnover. He commanded the game well against the Bulls, finding teammates on easy baskets. Murray also played tough defense as he aims to get back to his usual defensive self with the Pelicans.

Murray did not speak to reporters after the game, and McCollum hopes he’s not out for too long.

According to ESPN stats, Murray became the third player in Pelicans history with 10 assists in his team debut, joining Elfrid Payton (2018) and Baron Davis (2002). Last season with the Hawks, he had just two games total with 10 assists and one or fewer turnovers.

The Pelicans go on a 4-game road trip in the West coast, beginning at Portland on Friday night.