The New Orleans Pelicans already know the shape of their 2026 NBA Cup path, and it’s not exactly a soft landing.
With the full NBA schedule still set to be unveiled Thursday, New Orleans jumped ahead and revealed its four Emirates NBA Cup group-stage games early. The slate gives fans a first look at a tournament that has been a mixed bag for the Pelicans since it began.
The Cup has given the league another way to make regular-season games matter, and New Orleans has had only one real breakthrough in it so far. The Pelicans won their group in 2023 before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the semifinals. Since then, things have gone sideways fast: they went 1-3 in 2024 and then 0-4 last year.
There’s at least a path to a better showing this time, even if the draw isn’t kind. New Orleans will open group play on Nov. 6 at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that became more interesting after trading for LaMelo Ball last season, though how that fits together on the floor remains to be seen.
A week later, on Nov. 13, the Pelicans host the Memphis Grizzlies in what looks like their best shot at a win in the group. Memphis is described as being in full rebuild mode, with some intriguing pieces but not much that screams contender on paper. If New Orleans wants any chance at advancing, this one can’t get away.
The schedule stiffens after that. On Nov. 20, the Pelicans go to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder, a team that remains loaded and dangerous no matter the setting. Doing that on the road makes the task even tougher, and the expectation is that New Orleans won’t be favored there.
Then comes the final group game on Nov. 27 at the Los Angeles Clippers, a matchup that could still look different by the time it arrives. The source notes that the NBA is waiting to see whether the Kawhi Leonard trade goes through, and that this could also become another reunion with Brandon Ingram, depending on how things shake out.
For a Pelicans team trying to bounce back after two difficult seasons, the Cup schedule offers both a test and a chance. But the margin for error is thin, and the road to a turnaround starts with a very demanding group.
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