New Orleans Pelicans 2025-26 Season Preview & Predictions

New Orleans Pelicans 2025-26 Season Preview & Predictions

Yo, what’s going on, guys? And today, of course, we’ll be doing our season preview and predictions for the New Orleans Pelicans. So, today I want to hear your guys’s thoughts in the comment section. What is your expectation for this season and why? And I do understand that this year I don’t even know what to expect anymore, especially with the Joe Dumar’s Troy Weaver duo running the show down here in the bayou. So what do we know that the New Orleans Pelicans have entered this season as one of the most unpredictable franchises? Their roster has some blue chip prospects on paper. I think the biggest thing is the team is clouded by this uncertainty surrounding the health of Zion Williamson and a lot of the players because this team seems like they’re perpetually always unhealthy and they had the front office completely overhauled, had the roster retoled and the success of the season will depend almost entirely on Zion Williamson’s ability to stay on the court. If he can’t, the Pelicans may have no choice but to consider a more drastic franchise reset. And the Pelicans are a difficult team to get a handle on. On one hand, if you look at the situation, they have a solid core on paper. Zion Williamson, defensive standout. Herb Jones, two-way player, Trey Murphy, great young center, and Eves Messi. They also have Jordan Pool and Kavon Looney who bring new dimensions, experience, and a championship pedigree to this team. However, the optimism, I don’t know why I struggled right there. The optimism for this team is tempered by the reality of a dismissal. Yeah, dismissal. 21 win season. I’m trying to go big word here and it’s butchering. So, the front office led by Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver, who Troy Weaver, we all remember what he did in Detroit, are trying to set this team for sale, like legit like sale, like as a boat. And it’s weird because they’re kind of gambling on Zion Williamson being available and they traded away an unprotected pick in next year’s draft when this team looks like at best they’re going to be a playin team. And it’s almost as if they want to be forced like they’re hand forced to make the difficult decision about the franchise’s direction and if that that involves Zion Williamson. So, let’s discuss some of the things that happened. I think Herb Jones being locked down to a threeyear 67.5 million exception extension was huge. This move was a no-brainer as Jones has developed into one of the league’s best point of attack and perimeter defenders and is a glue guy for this team. Now, Cavon Looney 2, $16 million deal brings in a veteran center who has championship pedigree, has the playoff experience and the defensive tenacity that you want. He’s going to be kind of like the stabilizer in the front court, especially with Messi and Derek Queen basically still like going through their own growing pains that they need to figure out. And I think the biggest thing that they did was bring in Mr. Jordan Bool. They got him kind of in a salary dumping move. So, I wouldn’t say it’s like a high risk, but it could be a rewarding move as the Pelicans are banking on the change of scenery plus Looney, a former tangmate, and giving P more of a defined role will allow him to continue to progress. Like, if you hadn’t been following him in Washington, he’s actually become a better passer and somewhat more efficient. I mean, there’s some terrible moments. Now, the Derek Queen move was somewhat controversial as the Pelicans traded up to get the skilled big man when they already had Eves Messi and they sacrificed next year’s 2026 first round pick unprotected in the process. I did like Micah Peave’s a high energy defender who’s 6’8 and can rebound well for his size, can play the two or the three. So, I think personally right there they got themselves a solid move. Then on two ways they have Trey Alexander, Bryce McGowens, and Hunter Dickinson. While Jaden Springer and Mojave King were Jaden Springer was on exhibit 10 and Mojave King was someone that they got as a draft rights. He’s not on the team. But I think the move like they did some marginal moves that like okay, but we’ve said it before, the most significant change this off season happened at the top with the hiring of Joe Dumar as the president of basketball operations and senior vice president Troy Weaver. This kind of signaled a new era after they moved off of former executive David Griffin. Now they brought in kind of a new perspective and obviously have a mandate to build a more stable and competitive team. The most notable departure was obviously the trade of CJ McCollum and Kelly Olen to the Wizards which was clear and then Kelly Olen was then sent to the Spurs but they got younger and they’re more dynamic. David Griffin, as we mentioned earlier, was fired as the GM, closing the book on what is going to be viewed as a tumultuous chapter for the franchise. Other players like, you know, Alfred Payeyton, Brandon Boston Jr., Lester Kinonesz, and and you know, Antonio Reeves, who I thought was somebody that they should have kept, were people who left. And the decision to trade an unprotected 2026 first round pick to the Hawks was bold and has been highly criticized and it limits the team’s future flexibility and trade assets, especially on a year that they don’t look like they’re going to be good. So last year they were 21 and 61. They had no playoff earth. Obviously they sucked and Zion Williamson only played 33 games. Trey Murphy and Herb Jones also missed significant time due to injury. Mid-season’s trade of CJ McCollum obviously didn’t help situation. Like I think the the biggest thing was where you looked at this team that went from I also not mid-season my apology mid- offseason trade for C Jum was I don’t know I thought interesting I don’t know why I said midseason but mid off season was something that had to happen okay like this was a deal that personally I think should have happened during the season. And that’s kind of what I wanted to say was the mid- offseason trade that should have been a mid-season trade of CJ McCollum just further destabilized this team in the off season as a team that was kind of like dismantling. So with that being said, I think despite the drain of talent, coach Willie Green kept the team’s effort at times high and the sheer lack of encore talent was too much to overcome. To me, one of the things that we do need to talk about is the fact that this front office did the odac oda wow could not speak right there. the odacious audacious odacious the odacious move to trade for Derek Queen. And is it going to pan out for them? We don’t know. I mean, on paper, you’d say it’s a risky one. They got themselves Jeremiah Fears, who I like, but doing this move is betting on upside, especially if you keep Zion. And if you don’t, yeah, you have some upside, guys. Like the trades for Jordan Pool, Sadiq Bay, and bringing in Kan Looney were all aimed at providing a more reliable veteranfilled supporting cast. While I think these were calculated attempts to reset the team, give it a chance to succeed with the current star power. I don’t know why I just yelled there, but the new leadership obviously is trying to figure out the vision for this team and they’ve taken some big swings. I think the Jeremiah fears and Derek Queen, if they’re supposed to be foundational pieces once you move off of Zion, sure, that’s cool. But how they fit with Zion right now, it makes it hard. So Deonte Murray’s recovering from that popped Achilles. He’s probably not going to play. Maybe he does, but Jordan P, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, Ian Williamson, probably Kavon Louie the start then Eves Messi by the end of the year or they just give you Messi the starting job again. I think Jeremiah Fierce, Jos Alvarado will be duking it to try to get that backup minutes behind Pool. Maybe they even push P. Derrick Queen’s coming back from surgery. Carlo Matakovic is somebody you should keep an eye out for. They did bring in Jaylen McDaniels who’s just a depth for for them. And it’s a it’s a blend of some, you know, ISO scoring, decent defense, some playmakers. I think everything hinges on health, but they did bring in enough veterans to fill out the roster, and I think they have a youthful energy with the amount of young guys that they have. All right. So, I think this team, one of the things I do really like personally, I think they have a lot of versatile wings, especially if Sadique Pay comes through. Just a collection of athletic, longarmed wings who are willing, willing three-point shooters. Again, Looney and if you want to count P are two championship pedigree guys. I think Jordan Pool, Jeremiah Fears, Jos Alvarado, just a bunch of young guards, especially with Deontay Murray being out. And if the team’s healthy, the Pelicans have the length and the athleticism to switch on defense and disrupt opponents rhythm. And I think that’s going to be huge. Obviously, we’ve talked about this video, the durability concerns for the team, but mainly on Zion is going to be a big one. Besides Jordan Hawkins and a couple other guys and Trey Murphy and kind of Herb Jones, there aren’t that many consistent elite marksmen or really just quality shooters who are going to be near 40%. So, will they have enough shooting? If Fierce and Queen play a lot, will they be able to contribute? And the other young guys like, you know, Madakovic and Jordan Mahawkins. I think the other thing you need to understand is despite a new regime, Willie Green remains the coach and he was somebody that was kind of had his job saved by the owner. And first off, I think we need to give him his co, you know, his snaps. He’s someone who has an ability to connect with players, get him to compete, and even during a loss season, he’s a guy who’s developed players, maintains effort levels, and the pressure is on. Like, he’s on the hot seat. He was a guy that last year was almost fired and his job was saved by the owner because the owner’s friends with his wife and didn’t want to have his girlfriend’s husband fired mid-season as David Griffin wanted James Burggo to be the coach. This is a team that’s basically above the luxury tax line. So they’ll probably cut some salary at some point during the season or before, but they’re below the first apron and they have three big contracts in the Jonte Murray making 30 million, 36 in Zion Williamson and 29 million in Jordan P. Then obviously the extension for Herb Jones and Trey Murphy are going to eat up the cap space. But this year we’re looking at Jeremiah Fears, Derek Queen, Michael Peavey, and the two-way guy that you guys need to look at is Trey Alexander, who’s a shooter. He’s a combo guard. He’s a guy that I think could eventually, you know, make the roster. We’re going to see if Jordan P is going to be able to I think this is kind of like a pivotal year, a career-defining season as he’s in a new season or a new system and with Dejonte Murray out, he’s going to be able to see if he can recapture some of the potential that people thought he had. I think he’s shown it in Washington. people just haven’t been wa watching. You just need to be more efficient and less turnover prrone. So I think the biggest thing is how far can they go? But will the will they be forced to pivot and trade their franchise star to restock their assets is the biggest question or will they continue to double down on a high-risisk gamble to compete? And that’s basically what we’ve seen. Are they going to continue to try to keep Zion and push essentially all their chips to the middle of the table and force a win now approach or if Zion’s injuries persist? I think they need to have a pragmatic approach and change the direction. So, I think the young guys and the rookies like Derrick Queen and Jeremiah Fierce, Jordan Hawkins, Eves Messi are guys that you want to see if their development continues and if they’ll be indicators to whether those guys are a part of the long-term plan or not. Veteran trade candidates, will Jordan Pool, Sadique Bay, Kavon Looney, anybody else become traded? Or even Zion Williamson? Can Willie Green survive under the new regime of Joe Dumar and Troy Weaver as they’ve had a history of replacing coaches they’ve inherited? And Zion’s future is the biggest thing. I think best case scenario, they’re pushing for a playin spot. So like 35 I mean 40 wins I think by 500. And that’s if Zion plays 65 games and Jordan Pool thrives in his new role. Worst case, they’re a lottery team. They lose less than 20 games and it’s bad. But I think the expectation that this team has more talent and depth and if everything hits and they stay healthy, the Pelicans can be a playin team, but they could also be a lotterybound team. They have a lot to prove and we’ll find out if they have what it takes. So, let me know your thoughts. Sorry for rambling at the beginning. I I just Yeah, I felt like we did better at the

The New Orleans Pelicans enter the 2025-26 season searching for stability amid constant change. With Zion Williamson’s health once again the biggest question mark, a new-look front office led by Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver has retooled the roster by adding Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, Kevon Looney, and lottery pick Jeremiah Fears.
After a 21-win season marred by injuries, the Pelicans face an uncertain future: Do they finally push forward with Zion, or will more drastic changes loom? We break down the offseason moves, projected lineups, rookie profiles, breakout candidates, and the big-picture forecast for New Orleans.
Catch the full season preview and stay locked in for more NBA coverage.
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