The New Orleans Pelicans’ training camp roster didn’t come with a surprise wave of additions or a late roster shakeup, but it did deliver a few details worth watching. The team is set at 21 players, with three on two-way deals, and the announcement also confirmed that Christian Shumate has been released.
The clearest headline is Zion Williamson’s body update. He is listed at 277 pounds, while trainer Kris Chrisp said Williamson is actually at 271 this year.
That number, though, wasn’t the point. Chrisp said the focus was on consistency and finding what works for Williamson’s body rather than chasing a specific target.
That matters because Williamson finally found a routine that held up last season. He played in 35 straight games for the first time, and the Pelicans have carried that same approach into the offseason. If he can stay away from another major injury stretch, the outlook changes in a big way.
The roster also includes a handful of height changes that jump off the page. Trey Murphy and Dejounte Murray are both listed an inch taller, and three younger players are up as well: Jeremiah Fears is listed at 6-foot-4, Derik Queen at 6-foot-10 and Jaron Pierre Jr. at 6-foot-6.
With the three two-way spots already settled, the real competition is at the back end of the roster. About 13 players are essentially locked in, which leaves Kobe Bufkin, Caleb Houstan, AJ Johnson, Christian Koloko and Trendon Watford battling for the final two spots.
In Other News...
Pelicans Face One Defining Question Bigger Than Their Win Total
The Pelicans enter the season with a familiar kind of pressure: not just to be better, but to make a real jump. A modest step forward would still leave them short of respectability in the standings, so the conversation around New Orleans is less about incremental progress and more about whether the roster and coaching staff can push the team into a completely different tier. Past trends around the league show that turnarounds can happen, but they usually require more than just health and good intentions.
For New Orleans, the important question is whether the pieces around the core can produce a record that actually changes the tone of the season. Key player development and coaching consistency will matter, but the article frames a winning record as an optimistic outcome rather than the default expectation. That distinction matters for a team trying to move from hopeful to credible, because the gap between being competitive and finishing above .500 is still a meaningful one. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Suddenly Have A Backcourt Decision Fans Should Watch
D'Angelo Russell is back on the open market after being waived by the Memphis Grizzlies, and the ripple effect reaches a few teams that could use another ballhandler. For the Pelicans, it is the kind of situation worth tracking closely, because adding a veteran guard in free agency always changes the conversation around the backcourt, even before any move is made.
Russell's recent play has kept him in the mix for teams looking for shooting and creation, with the Heat, Pelicans and Hornets among the clubs tied to the discussion. No new contract has been confirmed, which leaves the picture unresolved for now and keeps the focus on whether New Orleans decides to explore a fit or stay patient as the market sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Offseason Moves Are Quietly Setting Up A Different Team
The Pelicans offseason has been easy to miss in the wider NBA conversation, but New Orleans has been steadily reshaping the roster with moves that look more practical than flashy. Saddiq Beys three-year, $55 million extension gives the club another long-term piece, while the trade that brought in Benedict Mathurin after dealing Jordan Hawkins and other assets changed the look of the wing group in a more immediate way. Julian Reeses two-way deal rounds out a summer that has been defined less by headlines than by fit.
What stands out is how deliberate the front office has been in treating each addition as part of a broader roster reset. The contracts have drawn favorable reviews for value, and the common thread is that these moves seem aimed at building a different kind of Pelicans team rather than simply adding names to the depth chart. There is still an evaluative order to how the deals stack up, but the larger picture is already clear enough: New Orleans has spent the offseason making subtle changes that could matter a lot once the games start. [Read more 🡒]