The New Orleans Pelicans are starting to put the pieces together for summer league, and the first details are already telling a story about what this group might look like in Las Vegas.
So far, eight players have been named to the roster: Utah’s Drake Allen, Cal’s Chris Bell, Kansas’ Melvin Council, Cal Baptist's Dominique Daniels, Missouri’s Shawn Phillips, East Carolina’s Jordan Riley, Maryland’s Solomon Washington, and second- round pick Jaron Pierre Jr.
The coaching piece is settled too. The Pelicans' social team confirmed what many expected when he was hired: God Shammgod will lead the squad in Vegas.
Shammgod has built a strong reputation as a player development coach, with stops at Providence, the Dallas Mavericks, and most recently the Orlando Magic. Last season, he played a major role in helping Magic wing Anthony Black become the kind of player Orlando envisioned when it selected him No. 6 in 2023.
That background matters for this Pelicans group, which will be looking for growth in Vegas while the front office keeps an eye out for two-way contract possibilities.
One big question still hanging over the roster is how the team’s three rookies from last season will be handled. It’s still unclear whether Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, and Micah Peavy will be asked to play this summer.
All three were strong in their rookie season, and Fears played 82 games while Queen appeared in 81, so they’ve already gotten plenty of work. Peavy may be the likeliest candidate to suit up, since he logged only 913 minutes, but it would be surprising to see Queen and Fears play two or more games, if they play at all.
If Queen stays out, New Orleans will need to use the remaining roster spots to shore up the frontcourt. The Pelicans are light in the middle, with Washington and Phillips as the only listed frontcourt players right now. In summer league, size can matter even more because the competition level drops and mismatches become easier to exploit.
This won’t have quite the same buzz as last summer’s group, which featured two lottery picks. But there’s still plenty at stake for a roster full of players trying to prove they belong, especially with three open two-way spots in New Orleans.
The Pelicans’ summer league opener is set for Sunday, July 9, against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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