The New Orleans Pelicans don’t have a ton to hang their hat on right now, but the picture isn’t completely bleak. For a team that has fallen short of 30 wins in back-to-back seasons, that matters.
There’s still the obvious path forward: if the current starting group can finally click the way it has in previous years, a return to the postseason is on the table. Even then, losing CJ McCollum’s shooting leaves a real hole.
Still, there are a few reasons Pelicans fans can at least look ahead with some hope.
Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen have already made strong first impressions, and that gives New Orleans something real to build on. If the team keeps trying to push for the playoffs without tearing everything down, those two can still become the fallback plan. For fans who believe in Yves Missi and Bennedict Mathurin, that only adds to the optimism.
Even the skeptics around the Pelicans tend to be in that camp because they’d rather see the franchise fully commit to youth. Fears has the look of a Russell Westbrook-esque downhill point guard, while Queen has already drawn the “Baby Jokic” label as a rookie.
The coaching staff is another reason the future doesn’t feel hopeless. Jamahl Mosley and his group took over an Orlando Magic team that had just gone 21-51, then helped guide it from 22 wins to 34 and eventually into the postseason three straight times.
That 34-win Orlando team was still in a rougher place than this Pelicans roster, even with Rookie of the Year Paolo and an improving Franz Wagner. New Orleans, at least on paper, should have more to work with.
It raises the question of whether coaching could be the missing piece.
Then there’s the money situation, and that may end up being the biggest opening of all. The offseason has been limited because so much salary is already tied up, and the Pelicans are currently over the cap with too many players on the books. A lot of that spending has not produced the kind of return the team wanted.
That changes in time. Jordan Poole will come off the books next season at $34 million.
Jordan Hawkins, if he isn’t moved before then, will clear about $7 million. Two years from now, Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray will both be off the books as well, and those two combine for an AAV of $74 million.
Altogether, that’s about $115 million in total AAVs that could open up room for New Orleans to make a lot more moves if it wants to.
If the Pelicans do get that flexibility, two players who could be in line for raises are Mathurin and Saddiq Bey.
In Other News...
Pelicans Look Ready To Move On From Jordan Hawkins
The Pelicans have already made one clear move in the backcourt this offseason, and it has only sharpened the sense that Jordan Hawkins time in New Orleans may be nearing an end. After signing Bennedict Mathurin, the teams guard rotation looks different, and Hawkins uneven recent seasons have left the front office weighing a trade rather than keeping him around on a longer look.
A move could come together with several teams that make sense on paper, including the Grizzlies, Kings and Mavericks, all of whom could use shooting or backcourt depth. New Orleans would prefer to find a deal instead of stretching Hawkins contract, which adds another layer to the decision as the Pelicans continue sorting out their roster and trying to turn a crowded, uncertain situation into something cleaner. [Read more 🡒]
Bennedict Mathurin Could Force A Tough Pelicans Roster Decision
The Pelicans added another scoring piece to the mix by signing Bennedict Mathurin to a two-year, $16 million contract, and it is the kind of move that can ripple through a roster quickly. After averaging 16.2 points per game last season, Mathurin arrives with a clear chance to matter in New Orleans, especially as the team looks to sort out how its rotation will take shape entering the new season.
What makes the signing even more interesting is the roster math surrounding it. New Orleans already has 16 players, which means another move will have to come before the team can get down to the leagues 15-man limit, and that puts some pressure on the front office to decide where Mathurin fits and who, if anyone, has to be moved aside to make it work. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Are Betting Big On A Rebuild Fans Know Too Well
After a sub-30-win season, the Pelicans have leaned into a reset built around Jamahl Mosley, whose arrival signals a clear push toward culture change and player development. New Orleans is trying to put more structure around a roster that has too often searched for its identity, and the front office has already made a notable move by signing restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin as part of the next phase.
Mosleys track record points to a patient approach, one centered on defense, internal growth and turning young talent into a more reliable nightly group. For a fan base that has seen versions of this rebuild before, the hope is that this one looks different because the Pelicans are treating the process as more than a short-term fix, even if the early payoff still has to be earned on the floor. [Read more 🡒]