Pelicans Face Pivotal Summer After Another 50-Loss Season
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The New Orleans Pelicans are heading into the 2026 offseason searching for answers after finishing 25-56, the franchise’s third-worst record and tied for the seventh-poorest mark in the NBA this year. Health held up better than in 2024/25, yet results remained grim, forcing the organization to weigh continuity against another roster shake-up.
Front office overhaul
Owner Gayle Benson moved quickly last spring, replacing longtime basketball chief David Griffin—dismissed after the injury-ravaged 21-61 campaign of 2024/25—with Louisiana native Joe Dumars. The Hall of Famer, who had worked in the league office since 2022, brought in former Pistons general manager Troy Weaver as senior vice president of basketball operations and general manager. Dumars’ son, Jordan Dumars, also joined the front-office group.
Key roster moves to date
Last summer’s first major trade sent CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a 2027 second-round pick to Washington for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and a 2025 second-rounder that became rookie guard Micah Peavy. Poole struggled in his New Orleans debut, but Bey thrived on a budget contract after returning from an ACL tear, and Peavy showed early promise.
The Pelicans then packaged the No. 23 pick in 2025 and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder (the more favorable of their own or Milwaukee’s) to Atlanta, moving up to No. 13 to draft Maryland center Derik Queen. Queen flashed potential as a rookie, though the surrendered 2026 pick carries a 90 percent chance of landing in the top eight—40 percent in the top four—when the lottery takes place in two days.
Veteran big men Kevon Looney (two years, $16 million with a team option) and DeAndre Jordan (minimum deal) rounded out last season’s roster. Injuries limited the pair to 33 combined games, but coaches cited their leadership with a younger core.
Coaching search tops offseason agenda
New Orleans’ immediate priority is naming a permanent head coach. Rajon Rondo, Steve Hetzel, James Borrego and Darvin Ham were considered frontrunners before Orlando dismissed Jamahl Mosley, a coach the Pelicans reportedly admire. Whether Mosley joins the candidate list remains uncertain.
The front office must also decide if it will stay the course with the current group or pursue further changes after consecutive seasons of at least 55 losses across injuries, trades and roster turnover.
Source: Hoops Rumors
