If the New Orleans Pelicans stumble out of the gate in 2026-27, the Golden State Warriors could be the team ready to take advantage.
That idea hangs over this season already, because Pelicans fans are split on what comes next. Some believe the current group can work under Jamahl Mosley.
Others are bracing for another rough finish that could lead to the plug being pulled by the trade deadline. The skepticism is real, and the offseason did little to calm it down.
New Orleans did not add the floor spacing many expected, and the only new faces mentioned are Bennedict Mathurin and AJ Johnson. After a 26-win season last year and 21 wins the year before, it is hard to look at this roster and see an obvious leap.
That is where Golden State enters the picture.
The Warriors had an underwhelming offseason too, but as long as Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Steve Kerr are in place, there is still a path to relevance. If a few things break right - Yaxel Lendeborg emerging as a top rookie, Kristaps Porzingis staying healthy, and Brandon Podziemski continuing to be an elite role player - Golden State could hang around the playoff race. And with the pressure to keep Curry’s final great years competitive, the Warriors could look to move Jimmy Butler’s $56-plus million contract for players who can help now.
That possibility matters for New Orleans.
If the Mosley era starts poorly, a quick pivot toward a rebuild around Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen would make sense. In that scenario, the Pelicans would likely be looking for cap flexibility and draft capital in deals involving veterans such as Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Saddiq Bey, and Herb Jones. Golden State could put together the kind of package that fits that ask.
Butler’s expiring contract, draft capital, and players such as Lendeborg and Podziemski would give the Warriors enough to get into the mix if the Pelicans decide to sell.
And New Orleans has the kind of inventory Golden State would want. Whether the move is a bigger swing for Zion or Murphy III, or a smaller one for Bey or Jones, the Pelicans have forwards and wings across the board. That is exactly the type of help the Warriors need.
It is all hypothetical for now. Still, when the 2027 trade deadline gets closer, do not be surprised if the first real phone call between these teams starts to make a lot of sense.
In Other News...
Pelicans Camp Plan Is Set But One Backcourt Decision Still Looms
The Pelicans appear to have their backcourt blueprint in place as training camp opens, with Dejounte Murray projected to handle the starting point guard duties and Jeremiah Fears set to steer the second unit. For New Orleans, that arrangement offers a clearer early-season structure, pairing Murrays steadiness and leadership with a younger guard whose role is built around growth as much as production.
Fears enters camp with a chance to sharpen the parts of his game that will determine how quickly he climbs the rotation, especially as a playmaker and on the defensive end. Murrays job, meanwhile, is to give the group stability from the start, but the bigger question for the Pelicans is how long that setup holds once the games begin and the coaching staff starts sorting out which backcourt combinations can finish nights on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Herb Jones Could Decide How Stable This Pelicans Season Feels
Herb Jones has already become one of the defining pieces of the Pelicans core, and not just because of what he does on defense. Entering his sixth NBA season in New Orleans after earning All-Defensive First Team honors last year, he gives the roster a rare kind of edge: a wing stopper who can tilt matchups before the offense even gets involved. With his three-year extension set to kick in soon, the Pelicans are looking at a long runway with a player who could stay in place well into the 2030/2031 season.
The bigger question, though, is whether Jones can give the team a steadier presence. He has been available for only about half of the games over the last two seasons, and that has made his value feel more theoretical than constant at times. Training camp gives him a clean start, with health and improved three-point shooting both sitting near the top of his personal checklist, and how well he handles those two areas may say plenty about how stable this Pelicans season can feel. [Read more 🡒]
Zion Williamson Has One Big Reason To Love Pelicans Keeping Saddiq Bey
The Pelicans made an investment in continuity by signing Saddiq Bey to a three-year extension worth more than $55 million, keeping one of last seasons most useful frontcourt pieces in place. Bey gave New Orleans a steady two-way presence and production that fit cleanly alongside Zion Williamson, averaging a career-high 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds while logging significant minutes with the teams star.
For Williamson, the move matters because it helps preserve a pairing that already showed real value and gives the Pelicans a little more stability around him as they build out the roster. Beys return should keep the frontcourt from feeling quite so fragile, and it leaves New Orleans with a dependable option who can ease some of the burden on Williamson without requiring the offense to change shape. [Read more 🡒]