Pelicans' Quiet Offseason Follows Two Disappointing Seasons
The New Orleans Pelicans, after two poor seasons, have had a quiet offseason under Joe Dumars, re-signing veterans and adding minimum-salary players while
The New Orleans Pelicans have had a notably quiet offseason following consecutive disappointing campaigns. After a 49-33 playoff appearance in 2023/24, the team plummeted to a 21-61 record in 2024/25 and a 26-56 finish in 2025/26, tying for the seventh-worst mark in the league last season.
Owner Gayle Benson hired longtime executive Joe Dumars to lead basketball operations in April 2025 after dismissing David Griffin. According to Hoops Rumors, reports last fall indicated Dumars took a hands-off approach initially, with new general manager Troy Weaver believed to be the driving force behind the team's major 2025 summer trades.
Scrutinized Offseason Trades
The front office's first major move last offseason sent CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a 2027 second-round pick to Washington for Jordan Poole, the injured Saddiq Bey, and a 2025 second-round pick used on Micah Peavy. Poole disappointed in New Orleans, but Bey outperformed his team-friendly contract after returning from a torn ACL, and Peavy showed flashes as a rookie.
The second trade was more consequential. The Pelicans traded the No. 23 pick (Asa Newell) and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta to move up to No. 13 and select Derik Queen. The traded pick had a high probability of being valuable.
| Pick Probability | Chance |
|---|---|
| Top Eight | 90% |
| Top Four | 40% |
The pick ultimately landed at No. 8, with the Hawks selecting guard Kingston Flemings. While Queen had a promising rookie year, the process of dealing a likely high lottery pick in a loaded draft class drew significant criticism.
Minimal Veteran Additions
To fill out last season's roster, the Dumars-led front office signed veterans Kevon Looney and DeAndre Jordan. They provided leadership but combined for only 33 games played in 2025/26. This offseason, the Pelicans re-signed the 38-year-old Jordan to a surprising two-year, minimum-salary deal.
Other moves involved minimum or non-guaranteed training camp contracts. The team added Trendon Watford on a partially guaranteed deal and signed Kobe Bufkin, Christian Koloko, and Caleb Houstan to non-guaranteed pacts. A two-year, $16 million agreement with Bennedict Mathurin has not been finalized due to luxury tax complications.
Guard Jordan Hawkins has been mentioned as a trade candidate, largely to help the Mathurin signing by shedding salary.
Leadership's Vision and Justification
At his end-of-season press conference, Dumars emphasized a need for toughness over specific skills. "I would add more toughness to this team," Dumars said. "We have to be able to compete every night. We cannot get banged around, pushed around."
Despite the poor records, Dumars said he didn't think the Pelicans were far from being a winning team. He defended the quiet summer in a recent interview. "The lack of moves being made right now is not from a lack of effort," Dumars explained. "We've engaged with a lot of teams this offseason."
Coaching Change
The organization also made a coaching change last season. After a poor start, the Pelicans fired head coach Willie Green and raise top assistant James Borrego to interim coach. Rather than making Borrego permanent, the team hired defensive-minded Jamahl Mosley as the new head coach after his departure from Orlando.
The 2026/27 roster projects to look extremely similar to the group that won just 26 games last season, placing the focus squarely on internal development and Mosley's new system.
