Dejounte Murray suffers an unfortunate injury in debut for Pelicans

Just one game into the season, and the New Orleans Pelicans are already facing a major setback.

Newly acquired guard Dejounte Murray suffered a fractured left hand during the Pelican's 123-111 over the Chicago Bulls and is expected to miss an extended period of time, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The injury occurred late in the fourth quarter when the former All-Star guard attempted a heavily contested three-pointer while being guarded by Zach Lavine and took a harsh fall. He managed to draw a foul and get sent to the line, and was able to hit a free throw. However, it was clear that the star guard was in pain, and he was subbed out for the final minute of the game.

Murray finished the contest with 14 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds in 30 minutes of playing time.

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Dejounte Murray set to be out long-term after breaking left hand in Pelicans debut

It's a massive blow for the Pelicans this early into the new season.

Murray was acquired in a significant offseason trade from the Atlanta Hawks for several first-round picks, Dyson Daniels, Larry Nanace Jr., and E.J. Liddell. The Pelicans hoped he would be the missing piece to solidify their backcourt and add another star to their core with Zion Williamson, ngram, and Trey Murphy III in the fold.

Last season, the Pelicans managed to win 49 games; however, they lacked a true playmaker to help them get over the top in a loaded Western Conference.

Meanwhile Murray is coming off a stellar season in Atlanta, where he averaged a career-high 22.5 points in a game. However, he couldn't quite find him with Trae Young, which made the talented guard expandable.

The Pelicans hoped to rely on his playmaking and defense but now it seems they will left without one of their crucial offseason acquisitions for a significant amount of time after Murphy, who signed a four-year, $112 million rookie contract, suffered an injury during the preseason that will keep him out indefinitely.

Still, the Pelicans hope to improve on their 49-33 record from the season, only now they will need to find another solution at point guard for the time being with Murray's absence.