Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III sidelined at least three weeks with a hamstring strain

New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III has been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain that will sideline him from basketball activities for at least three weeks.

The club announced the injury on Thursday after getting the results of an MRI.

The injury occurred during the second practice of Pelicans training camp in Nashville on Wednesday. Murphy's recovery timeline makes it unlikely that he'll play in New Orleans' regular season opener against Chicago on Oct. 23.

The 24-year-old Murphy, a 2021 first-round draft choice out of Virginia, averaged a career-high 14.8 points last season, when he played in 57 games with 23 starts.

He has shot 39.2% from 3-point range during his three seasons and also has shown a knack for slashing to the hoop for the kind of soaring, authoritative dunks that have gotten him a past invitation to the NBA All-Star weekend dunk contest.

The injury setback comes as Murphy enters the final season of his rookie contract. He is eligible for a contract extension until Oct. 21. Otherwise, he'd be slated to become a restricted free agent next offseason.

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