Pelicans exercise 2023-24 team options on Trey Murphy III, Kira Lewis Jr.

The New Orleans Pelicans have exercised the 2023-24 team options on forward Trey Murphy III and guard Kira Lewis Jr. Last August, Murphy signed a four-year, $14.78 million rookie scale contract with the team.

Murphy will earn $3,206,520 this season and $3,359,280 in the 2023-24 season. Of course, the wing has another team option worth $5,159,855 for the 2024-25 season. The NBA deadline for the 2023-24 club option is Monday, Oct. 31.

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Pelicans exercise options on Kira Lewis Jr. and Trey Murphy IIIhttps://t.co/w79Z9JtnLz

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 27, 2022

In the 2021 NBA Draft, the Pelicans selected Murphy 17th overall. Last season, in 62 starts as a rookie, the forward logged 5.4 points and 2.4 boards per game. Not to mention, he shot 39.4% from the floor and 38.2% from 3-point range.

On March 11, 2022, in the Pelicans’ 142-120 loss against the Charlotte Hornets, Murphy scored a career-high 32 points in 28 minutes of action. Also, he contributed 9 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 19-of-32 overall.

Pelicans pick up 2023-24 team options on forward Trey Murphy III and guard Kira Lewis Jr.

Through four games this season, the Virginia product is averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Plus, he’s shooting 62.9% from the field and 68.4% from beyond the arc.

As for Lewis, the guard signed a four-year, $17.19 million deal with the Pelicans in November 2020. He will make $5,722,116 with the team in the 2023-24 season. His cap hit this season is $4,004,280.

Lewis is out indefinitely to begin the 2022-23 season due to an ACL injury he sustained last December. New Orleans granted the guard $1,911,120 million Disabled Player Exception for his season-ending injury.

Furthermore, the Alabama product was selected 13th overall by the Pelicans in the 2020 NBA Draft. During his rookie 2020-21 season, in 54 games off the bench, the guard averaged 6.4 points, 1.3 boards, and 2.3 assists.

To add to the aforementioned statistics, he shot 38.6% from the field and 33.3% from downtown.

In the 2021-22 season, prior to his season-ending injury, Lewis recorded 5.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per contest in 24 games off the bench. He shot 2.4% from long range and a career-best 40.4% from the floor.

Additionally, in the Pelicans’ 94-81 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on November 19, 2021, the guard scored a season-high 16 points in 23 minutes played. Lewis finished 9-of-15 shooting overall.

There is no clear timetable for the 21-year-old to make his season debut.