The New Orleans Pelicans have spent most of the offseason standing still, and that’s exactly why a name like Mario Hezonja can start to sound more interesting than it probably should.
With Jamahl Mosley now in place as head coach, Joe Dumars and his staff have otherwise left the roster untouched, and the team still has one open spot to work with. That kind of quiet summer can make any fresh possibility feel bigger than it is. Hezonja, a former 2015 fifth overall pick who is now trying to get back to the NBA after six seasons overseas, fits that category.
NBA insider Marc Stein recently reported that several teams are interested in Hezonja, who has spent the last several years with Real Madrid. For Pelicans fans, the idea of bringing in a former lottery pick who has clearly developed overseas has some appeal. But that’s where the excitement should probably end.
New Orleans has more pressing needs than another forward with overlap in the same areas as players already on the roster. The fit simply doesn’t make much sense.
Hezonja is a different player now than he was in 2019-20, his last NBA season. He has grown into a strong two-way downhill scorer, and this past season he put up 15.0 points per game, along with 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.8 steals. At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, he has the frame to defend at the point of attack, hold up inside, rebound to finish possessions and do a little bit of playmaking in the pick-and-roll.
That said, the Pelicans already have Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson in the mix, and Hezonja’s shooting profile doesn’t give New Orleans enough reason to carve out minutes for him. He shot 39-plus percent from three in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, but the rest of his overseas run has been much shakier from deep, with seasons of 34.6, 30.0, 34.5 and 33.4 percent.
That matters for a Pelicans team that finished in the bottom ten in every major three-point category last season and still doesn’t have a dependable high-volume spacer beyond Murphy III.
If New Orleans is going to use that final standard roster spot, the priority should be clearer than this: center help or three-point shooting. Hezonja doesn’t really check either box, which makes the Pelicans an unlikely landing spot as he pushes for an NBA return.
In Other News...
Pelicans Sign Jaron Pierre Jr. As Roster Picture Starts Taking Shape
The Pelicans added a little more clarity to their offseason picture by signing second-round pick Jaron Pierre Jr., a move that gives the organization another young guard to develop while the roster continues to come together. Pierre arrives with the kind of scoring track record that made him worth a draft pick in the first place, and his college production suggested he can put the ball in the basket and stretch the floor from deep.
For now, the fit looks developmental as much as immediate, with Pierre likely spending meaningful time in the G League while New Orleans keeps sorting out the rest of the back end of the roster. The Pelicans still have an opening-night spot available, and there remains a sense that more could change if the front office finishes another move, so this signing may be only one piece of a larger picture still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans May Finally Be Seeing The Zion They Were Promised
Zion Williamsons offseason has taken on a different feel heading into the 2026-27 season, with the Pelicans star reportedly working under a new approach since Joe Dumars and company arrived. A recent public photo has only added to the buzz, with Williamson looking slimmer but stronger as he continues a summer that seems built around durability as much as explosiveness.
The encouraging part for New Orleans is that this is not coming out of nowhere. Williamson already put together a career-high 62 games last season and strung together 35 straight, a meaningful step for a player whose availability has long shaped the conversation around the franchise. His trainer, Kris Chrisp, has been documenting the work since the season ended, from jump-shooting to lifting, and the Pelicans will be watching closely to see whether this version of Zion can carry over when the games start counting again. [Read more 🡒]