Some thoughts on the New Orleans Pelicans heading into 2025-26.

• 2024-25 was a very rough season for the Pels, headlined by many injuries/losses (Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones played 208 games combined/21-61 record as a team) and the firing of former executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin. The now traded Ingram (dealt by Griffin at the 2025 trade deadline) and McCollum put up solid numbers, but that only led to 7th and 8th seed first round exits at best during this current Willie Green era.  
• New Orleans hired a new front office back in April, and I think it’s safe to say that Joe Dumars (president of basketball operations) & Troy Weaver (senior vice president of basketball operations) have taken over one of the hardest situations in the NBA right now: being a small market team looking for hope through an injury-plagued Zion.
• If you thought things weren’t already difficult enough, Dumars & Weaver traded the 23rd pick in this year’s draft and the team’s 2026 unprotected first round pick to Atlanta for the draft rights to Derik Queen (13th pick): creating pressure to win this upcoming season and also putting their trust in Queen that he’ll become a very good player. Next year’s draft has been highly talked about by experts, as the Pelicans will miss out on potential future stars Darryn Peterson (Kansas), AJ Dybantsa (BYU), and Cameron Boozer (Duke).
• Personally, I do see high potential in Queen as well as other 2025-26 New Orleans rookies Jeremiah Fears (7th pick) & Micah Peavy (acquired in draft day trade after being selected 40th overall by the Washington Wizards). Not many people know Peavy, but once you watch his game, you can see many similarities to H. Jones as a passer and versatile defender while already being a better shooter (shot 40.0% from three with 3.6 APG and 2.3 SPG at Georgetown last season). As for the speedy Fears, he’s expressed confidence in his dynamic point guard skills so far this summer. Not only saying that he wants to be an All-Star, a champion, and top two point guard in the NBA one day, but also mentioned that his ideal career looks like becoming a top two point guard of all-time (h/t to ClutchPoints).
• New Orleans traded for Jordan Poole & Saddiq Bey (McCollum deal)/signed Kevon Looney this summer, three guys that could be great additions or disappointments. Poole has certainly gotten better (20.5 PPG, 1.3 SPG, and 37.8% 3-PT were all career-highs last season/tied career-best in APG with 4.5), but I want to see how much that can translate to winning out West. Looney & Bey on the other hand will have to show that they can still be effective players, as Kevon’s minutes went down his last couple years in Golden State and Saddiq missed all of 2024-25 with a torn ACL.
• Yves Missi made All-Rookie Second Team last year, but I thought he took some steps back at Summer League except for rebounding and shot blocking (posted 7.3 PPG/10.7 RPG/0.3 APG/0.7 SPG/2.3 BPG/29.0% FG/30.8% FT in three games). Meanwhile, Jordan Hawkins (entering third season) has had plenty of NBA games where he’s hit multiple three-pointers. However, the former national champ at UConn is only a career 37.6% shooter from the field/34.8% from three.
• Two players I’m not as worried about when healthy are Jose Alvarado & Karlo Matkovic, as the two bring nonstop energy every single time they’re on the court.
• In conclusion, I believe a lot of eyes will be on the Pelicans simply due to their new front office betting on the current roster’s questionable health/production by trading its 2026 unprotected first round pick.