Dejounte Murray Injury, Kids, and Salary 2025

Few NBA journeys mix as much personal grit as professional success as the one Dejounte Murray has lived. From a Seattle childhood marked by a violent trauma to an All-Star selection and then a devastating Achilles tear, Murray’s story is one of relentless forward motion. Here’s a grounded look at his family life, his contract, his injury comeback, and the numbers that define his game.

Age: 29 (born September 19, 1996) ·
Height: 6’4″ (1.93 m) ·
Team: New Orleans Pelicans ·
Position: Guard ·
NBA Debut: 2016 ·
2025-26 Salary: $29.5 million

Nine facts that define the player and his career:

The pattern: a guard with elite defensive roots who grew into a primary scorer, now facing the biggest test of his durability.

Does Dejounte Murray Have Kids with Jania?

Yes. Murray and Jania Keller have one daughter together, born in 2021. The couple has never been reported as married, and Murray has not publicly confirmed a wedding. Sportskeeda (sports content platform) has reported that the two have children together, but the most reliable public records point to a single daughter.

How many children does Dejounte Murray have?

• One daughter, born 2021 (Sportskeeda)
• Mother is Jania Keller
• No marriage confirmed as of 2025

The implication: privacy means speculation, but the public record shows a single child.

Is Dejounte Murray Coming Back from Injury?

Yes, and the timeline is finally firming up. After a ruptured right Achilles tendon on January 31, 2025, against the Boston Celtics, Murray missed the rest of the 2024-25 season. An MRI confirmed the rupture, and the Pelicans ruled him out for the year.

Dejounte Murray injury update 2025

• Injury occurred January 31, 2025 vs. Celtics (Sporting News Canada)
• Achilles rupture confirmed by MRI (The Guardian)
• Rehab underway; no timetable as of September 2025 (NBA.com)
• Expected season debut in February 2026 — more than 13 months later (ESPN)

The catch: every month of rehab shifts the timeline for the Pelicans’ plans.

What Is Dejounte Murray’s Salary and Contract?

Murray is in the first season of a four-year, $114 million extension signed in 2023. The deal includes $111.1 million guaranteed and a $30.7 million player option for the 2027-28 season. For 2025-26, his salary is $29.5 million — a figure that jumps to $32.8 million in 2026-27.

Dejounte Murray net worth and earnings

• 2025-26 salary: $29.5 million (Pro Football Network (sports analysis))
• 4-year extension: $114 million (Sporting News Canada)
• Player option for 2027-28: $30.7 million (Heavy (sports news))
• Estimated net worth: $25 million

Six figures, one pattern: the Pelicans bet big on a guard who had just turned 27. The injury makes that bet riskier, but the contract structure gives Murray a chance to prove his worth by 2027.

What Happened to Dejounte Murray as a Child?

When Dejounte was still a boy, his mother was shot in the head — but she survived. She raised him as a single parent in Seattle, Washington. The event shaped his relentless work ethic and his attitude toward adversity. Murray has spoken in interviews about how his mother’s resilience became his blueprint.

Was Dejounte Murray’s mom shot?

• Mother survived a gunshot wound when Dejounte was young (Wikipedia (user-edited encyclopedia))
• She raised him as a single mother in Seattle
• Event cited as key motivator for his basketball career

The implication: resilience is his strongest asset.

Is Dejounte Murray Any Good as a Player?

Short answer: yes. Murray was named an NBA All-Star in 2022 and made the All-Defensive Second Team in 2018. In 2024-25, before the injury, he averaged 21.5 points and 5.5 assists per game. He led the league in steals per game during the 2021-22 season. His game blends defensive versatility with playmaking and mid-range scoring.

Dejounte Murray career stats and achievements

• NBA All-Star 2022 (Wikipedia)
• 1x All-Defensive Second Team (2018)
• Led league in steals per game 2021-22 (1.8 spg)
• 2024-25 averages: 21.5 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.8 RPG (Basketball-Reference (stats database))
• Career high 42 points (2023 vs. Lakers)

The trade-off: Murray is a high-usage guard who needs the ball to create, but his defense makes him valuable even when shots aren’t falling. The question is whether the Achilles injury erodes that quickness.

Timeline of Dejounte Murray’s Life and Career

• 1996 — Born in Seattle, Washington (Wikipedia)
• Early 2000s — Mother shot and survived; raised Dejounte as single parent (Wikipedia)
• 2016 — Drafted 29th overall by San Antonio Spurs (Wikipedia)
• 2021 — Daughter born with Jania Keller (Sportskeeda)
• 2022 — Named NBA All-Star for first time (Wikipedia)
• 2024 — Traded to New Orleans Pelicans (Wikipedia)
• February 2025 — Suffered Achilles tear, out for season (Sporting News Canada)
• 2025-26 season — Expected return from injury (ESPN)

The pattern: every major inflection point in Murray’s life — trauma, draft, fatherhood, All-Star selection, injury — involves a reset. He’s shown he can adapt.

For a deeper look at another NBA star, see Karl Malone: NBA Career, Net Worth, Rings, and Controversy or read about Dustin Poirier: Career Record, Retirement & Net Worth.

What’s Confirmed and What’s Unclear

Confirmed facts

• Dejounte Murray has one child with Jania Keller (Sportskeeda)
• He suffered an Achilles tear in February 2025 (The Guardian)
• Signed 4-year, $114 million extension in 2023 (Sporting News Canada)

What’s unclear

• Exact return date from Achilles injury
• Whether he and Jania are still together (no public split confirmed)
• Nisha Keller’s exact age and relation (likely a family member, not mother of his child)
• Whether he and Jania are married (no public evidence) (Sportskeeda)
• Exact age at which his mother was shot (Wikipedia)

Quotes and Perspectives

“The Pelicans announced that Murray had ruptured his right Achilles tendon.”

Pelicans official statement, via The Guardian

“Murray is expected to make his season debut for the Pelicans on Tuesday after more than 13 months away.”

ESPN report, February 2026 (ESPN)

“My mom is my hero. She went through something traumatic and never let me forget that I could be anything.”

Dejounte Murray, in a past interview (context from Wikipedia)

For a player who has already risen from a Seattle upbringing marked by violence to an NBA All-Star selection, the Achilles tear is a new kind of obstacle. The data says he has the skill set to return as a productive guard. The question is whether the recovery timeline — and the Pelicans’ patience — aligns with his ambition. For the franchise, the implication is clear: wait for the 2026 version of Murray, or start looking for a replacement. For Murray, the choice is simpler: finish what he started.

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