The Pelicans are heading into the 2026-27 season with one of the league’s most unusual center setups, and the answer might not be a single player at all.
New Orleans spent the 2026 offseason with a glaring need in the middle, but no move came. So the center spot is set up to be a nightly puzzle, with the Pelicans leaning on a mix of traditional size, switchable defense, and even some small-ball looks depending on the opponent.
Yves Missi looks like the safest bet to handle the bulk of the starting duties. After two seasons with the Pelicans, he’s built enough experience and comfort to project as the team’s primary five. His rim protection, athletic pop, and rebounding give New Orleans its most dependable presence on the back line.
Behind him, Karlo Matkovic brings a very different kind of value. At 6-foot-10, he gives the Pelicans rare floor spacing for a big, along with explosive athleticism and strong finishing around the rim.
Last season, he knocked down 42.2 percent of his threes and landed in the 90th percentile among big men in three-point efficiency according to Cleaning the Glass. That kind of shooting matters on a roster built around creating space for Zion Williamson.
On nights when New Orleans runs into teams that fire away from deep - like the Hornets, Warriors, and Celtics - Matkovic could see a major bump in minutes.
Derik Queen adds another layer, even if he doesn’t look like a natural center yet. At 6-foot-9 with a thinner frame, he’s not the cleanest long-term fit as a five.
Still, the Pelicans may need him there for stretches simply because the depth behind Missi and Matkovic isn’t especially deep. It wouldn’t be a surprise if roughly 25-30 percent of his minutes come with him as the lone big on the floor, where his tools should at least make him serviceable in short bursts.
And then there’s the small-ball wrinkle.
When Missi, Matkovic, and Queen are all off the court, New Orleans can pivot in a couple of different directions. Herb Jones gives the Pelicans something most teams don’t have: a wing who can legitimately defend one through five.
That kind of versatility makes it possible to go small without giving away too much on the defensive end. James Borrego tried some of that last season, and with Jamahl Mosley in place, that approach could continue.
Zion Williamson offers the opposite kind of small-ball answer. Instead of bringing defense, he brings offense. If the Pelicans need a scoring burst, they can slide Zion to the five, pull the opposing center away from the rim, and open up the lane for everyone else.
So while New Orleans doesn’t have a clean, single-player solution at center, it does have a handful of options with real upside. That makes the position one of the most interesting things to watch for the Pelicans in 2026-27.
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