The New Orleans Pelicans have spent the last two seasons getting battered by bad luck. They won just 47 games over that stretch, watched injuries pile up one after another, and even had a head coach dismissed 12 games into a season.
Now, though, 2026-27 brings a different feel. A new head coach and a healthy roster have the Pelicans looking ready to compete in the Western Conference.
What stands out most about this group is not just the top-end talent. It’s the depth Jamahl Mosley has to work with in year one.
For a team that has been knocked off course so often by injuries, that matters. New Orleans has had the kind of season depth that can keep a team afloat through absences, and this roster looks deeper than it has in years.
When people start guessing rotations before training camp and preseason begin, the Pelicans are not an easy team to map out. Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Zion Williamson look like the clearest starters. After that, the picture gets much murkier, and that uncertainty may actually be a strength.
Before the Bennedict Mathurin signing, New Orleans already had a strong 11-man rotation. That group has only gotten better with his arrival. Between Zion, Murray, Murphy III, Yves Missi, Saddiq Bey, Derik Queen, Herb Jones, Jeremiah Fears, Karlo Matkovic, Jordan Poole, Bryce McGowens, and Mathurin, Mosley now has 12 players who could be rotation pieces across the league.
That kind of group gives the Pelicans a real identity to lean on. Toughness and defense are already expected to be part of the mix, but depth has a chance to become the third pillar. If Mosley can get this roster to buy into selflessness and a one-for-all mentality, the Pelicans have the makeup of a playoff team.
Mosley also brings experience from Orlando, where he never had this level of depth at his disposal. That makes the start of the regular season a natural time to trust the full group and see how far the versatility can carry them. Having guards, wings, and bigs who can start or fill meaningful second-unit minutes is a luxury, and it could turn the Pelicans into a team where a different player pops on any given night.
That versatility is something New Orleans has not had in a long time. It also gives Mosley room to tailor matchups from game to game.
On nights when perimeter defense needs to be the priority, Herb Jones can take on a bigger role. When the offense needs more shooting from deep, Trey Murphy III, Bryce McGowens, Karlo Matkovic, and Saddiq Bey can see their touches rise.
The Pelicans finally have options. Now it’s on Mosley to make the most of them.
If he does, this depth could be the edge that separates New Orleans from the rest of the West and pushes the team into meaningful basketball in April and beyond.
In Other News...
Saints Loss Sparked A Frustrating Officiating Debate Fans Wont Drop
The Saints overtime loss to the Lions has lingered well beyond the final whistle, largely because of a handful of officiating calls that left New Orleans fans replaying the night over and over. The most talked-about sequence came when a defensive touchdown was taken off the board and changed to an incomplete pass after officials ruled the quarterbacks arm was in a throwing motion, a decision the league has publicly defended even as frustration around the game has only grown.
Two other moments have kept the debate alive, including a disputed low-hit penalty against New Orleans and a potential missed pass interference call on the final two-point try. Those plays have not drawn the same official league acknowledgment, which is why the conversation has shifted from a single controversial call to a broader question about whether the officiating stack-up altered the outcome of a game the Saints had every reason to believe was still there to be won. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans May Have Found A New Answer To Their Backcourt Problem
The Pelicans latest roster shuffle came in a deal with Memphis that sent Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy and a second-round pick out the door in exchange for AJ Johnson and veteran forward Taj Gibson. Gibson was waived shortly after to make room for another signing, which leaves Johnson as the lone incoming piece expected to show up for training camp and compete for a place in a backcourt that still needs answers.
Johnson brings size at 6-foot-5 and some needed ballhandling depth, even if his outside shot remains a work in progress. For New Orleans, that makes him less of a finished solution than another look at a guard who could help ease the pressure on the rest of the perimeter rotation if he earns a real role. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans May Have A Two-Way Big Worth Watching Closely
The Pelicans have filled out their training camp roster, and one of the more interesting additions is forward Malik Dia, who signed a two-way contract after a college path that took him from Vanderbilt to Belmont and then Ole Miss. Dia made enough of an impression in Summer League to earn a longer look, and he will begin with New Orleans G League affiliate, the Laketown Squadron, while the organization keeps him in the developmental pipeline.
For a team still sorting out its frontcourt depth, Dia offers a profile worth monitoring because of his rebounding and offensive touch. New Orleans believes those traits could eventually help on the main roster, especially if the need for extra size and defensive rebounding becomes more pronounced over the course of the season. [Read more 🡒]