Training camp is still under a month away, but the New Orleans Pelicans are already sorting through the edges of the roster, and one tryout name stands out above the rest: Caleb Houstan.
The Pelicans didn’t overhaul much this summer. After a 2025-26 season that ended with just 26 wins, they brought in a new coaching staff and largely kept the core together, choosing small adjustments over sweeping changes. That means the battle for the final roster spots could come down to fit, familiarity, and whether a player can clearly solve one of the team’s biggest problems.
Houstan has a real path to doing that.
New head coach Jamahl Mosley already knows him well. Mosley drafted Houstan in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft while with the Orlando Magic, then coached him for three seasons.
The 6-foot-8 forward logged 168 regular-season games in Orlando and averaged around 4 points in a little more than 14 minutes per night. The Magic used him mainly as a 3&D wing, and he shot 37% from three during that stretch under Mosley.
That skill set matters in New Orleans. The Pelicans’ three-point numbers last season were rough: 24th in percentage, 25th in attempts, and 27th in makes.
No one on the roster took more than 3 threes per game while shooting better than 38% from deep. If Houstan is going to stick, it’s going to be because he lights it up from the outside in camp.
And there’s at least some reason to believe he can do that. Houstan is a career 38% shooter from beyond the arc, and after a brief run in the G League last year, he finished strong with the Atlanta Hawks.
In 18 games there, the Canadian-born forward hit 52% of his threes. He’s also been especially effective from the corners, where he’s shot 46% for his career, according to 3stepsbasket.com.
The competition won’t be easy. New Orleans already has a crowded wing group with Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, Micah Peavy, and Bryce McGowens.
Getting past Peavy and McGowens would be a tough ask, since both logged major minutes last season. But that was under a different coaching staff, and Mosley’s comfort level with Houstan could matter if the former Michigan standout has a huge camp.
There’s also the way the Pelicans seem built to play this season. With limited real size at center, they’re expected to lean on smaller, quicker lineups. That kind of approach only works if the team can punish defenses from the perimeter, which puts even more pressure on the shooters to deliver.
Roster math could help too. New Orleans currently has 16 players after acquiring Bennedict Mathurin last month, and the team has to get down to at least 15 before the season begins. If the Pelicans make a multi-player trade for future assets, that could open another spot for someone on a two-way deal or a training camp contract.
Houstan is going to get his chance. With Mosley on the bench and a clear opening for shooting, he has a real shot to make this more than just a camp stop. After that, it’s on him.
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Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen both turned in strong rookie seasons, but Mathurins ball-dominant style could naturally trim some of the on-ball chances that helped them grow. How much that matters may depend on Jamahl Mosley, whose track record with young talent offers some reason to think the Pelicans can still keep the minutes and touches flowing, even with a more established attacker now in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans May Have Quietly Found A Bench Answer In Bryce McGowens
After a 49-win season in 2023-24, the Pelicans have spent the months since trying to steady a roster that changed in meaningful ways, from key trades to a new voice on the sideline. Jamahl Mosley was brought in to help guide that reset, and with the team looking for more reliable production off the bench, a young guard like Bryce McGowens suddenly feels a lot more relevant than a footnote.
McGowens arrived on a multi-year contract and showed enough last season to make the staff take notice, especially with the way he handled his shooting and decision-making. The Pelicans are still sorting out their rotation, but his profile fits what they need from a reserve guard: energy, composure, and enough offensive usefulness to survive real minutes while the team searches for stability. [Read more 🡒]