Jamahl Mosley’s value in New Orleans may not show up right away, but that’s exactly the point.
When the Pelicans made the hire, it was easy to wonder if Steve Hetzel might have been the better fit. He seemed like the developmental guy, the coach who could squeeze the most out of a young group. But Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver had been locked in on Mosley for a while, and as the offseason has played out, the logic behind that choice is getting clearer.
New Orleans is heading into a strange kind of season after 26 wins, and the front office’s decision not to blow things up says plenty about the plan. The Pelicans have enough moving parts - and enough value on the roster - that they can go in different directions depending on how things unfold. Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones and Saddiq Bey are all the kind of players who could bring back picks and young talent if the team decides to pivot later.
That flexibility is a big reason Mosley makes sense. He’s the kind of coach who can work on both tracks at once. In Orlando, he lived through a rebuild and then guided a playoff team, and that blend fits New Orleans well.
The five-year deal made some sense of unease at first. With this roster, nothing felt settled, and the Pelicans had only won 47 games across the previous two seasons.
But that reaction came from viewing Mosley only as the coach who had just helped Orlando reach three straight playoff berths. It leaves out the part where he helped drag the Magic out of the basement in the first place.
For Mosley, year one is about competing and trying to get New Orleans back to the playoffs for the first time since 2023-24. But if injuries hit or the group never really finds its rhythm and the Pelicans are sitting in a similar spot to last season’s 13-40 mark by the deadline, he gives them options other coaches might not.
Instead of being stuck in place, New Orleans could shift into a real rebuild.
There’s even a path where the Pelicans could end up with two top-four picks if both they and Milwaukee land in the top four of the draft. The 2027 class may not have the obvious headliner that 2025 or 2026 had, but it does offer a lot of players with All-Star upside. Add even one top-four pick to Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen over time, and the Pelicans would have the kind of young core that can grow into something exciting.
Mosley has done this kind of work before. He arrived in Orlando during Franz Wagner’s rookie season and played a role in the Magic’s decision to draft Paolo Banchero the following year. He understands how to develop talent and help build a foundation, even if Fears and Queen may not carry the same upside as Orlando’s duo.
That’s what makes him such a rare fit. In today’s NBA, coaches are often boxed into one lane - either development or winning. Mosley has worked both sides of that divide, and that versatility is a major reason the Pelicans’ hire looks so strong.
In Other News...
Pelicans Just Sent Another Clear Message About Their Frontcourt Priorities
The Pelicans kept trimming and reshaping the back end of their roster this week, waiving second-year center Hunter Dickinson to clear a two-way spot after adding Malik Dia on a two-way contract. Dickinsons time in New Orleans was brief after he went undrafted in 2025 and appeared in five games last season, but the move fits the teams continued search for the right mix of size and developmental depth around the frontcourt.
New Orleans is still not done sorting out those two-way slots, and the opening left behind should only sharpen the competition when camp gets going. Players like Kobe Bufkin and Christian Koloko are among the names now in position to fight for that space, which means the Pelicans roster churn at the bottom is still very much tied to how they want to build out the big-man group. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Frontcourt Battle Just Put One Young Forward Under Pressure
The Pelicans finished filling out their 15-man roster by signing forward Trendon Watford, and that move gives New Orleans another option in a frontcourt that already looks crowded. Both Watford and Karlo Matkovi are on one-year deals, and with the club expected to lean smaller and faster without a true starting center, the power forward picture suddenly has a lot less room than it did a week ago.
Training camp under new head coach Jamahl Mosley figures to sort out the fit, but the signing also adds pressure to a young forward trying to carve out a place in the rotation. Watford brings another body into the mix, and the battle in that spot could become one of the quieter but more revealing roster questions as the Pelicans settle into Mosleys first camp with the team. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Camp Battle Could Decide More Than One Key Roster Spot
The Pelicans have already done some of the housekeeping ahead of training camp, signing Trendon Watford to a one-year deal and Malik Dia to a two-way contract while building out a roster that still features established pieces like Dejounte Murray and Zion Williamson. Caleb Houstan is also under contract and expected to be around when camp opens, giving New Orleans another young name to sort through as it tries to balance immediate depth with longer-term development.
The two-way picture is where things get especially interesting, because the front office has left itself room to keep competing for one of the remaining openings. With Hunter Dickinson out of the mix after the move that cleared the spot, the Pelicans now have a camp battle that could shape more than a single line on the roster sheet, and the outcome may say plenty about how they want to blend upside, fit and readiness entering the season. [Read more 🡒]