The New Orleans Pelicans’ schedule for the 2025-’26 season was released Thursday. The Pelicans will be looking to get back on track after finishing 21-61 last season.
Here are the 10 most intriguing games on this season’s schedule.
Oct. 22: Pelicans at Grizzlies
The bad news is the Pelicans enter the season on a seven-game losing streak. The good news is they have done well in season openers. The Pelicans have won their last three season openers, including two by double digits. They’ll open this season against the Grizzlies as they try to get the Joe Dumars era off to a good start. The Pelicans and Grizzlies have played 22 times since Zion Williamson and Grizzlies guard Ja Morant went 1 and 2 in the 2019 draft. But the two stars have only played against each other eight times. Both should be available for the opener.
Oct. 24: Spurs at Pelicans
What better way to open things up at home than a Zion Williamson vs. Victor Wembanyama matchup. The Pelicans didn’t give the Smoothie King Center crowd much to cheer about last season, winning just 14 games at home. This will be the first time fans get a close glimpse of all the new pieces Dumars assembled.
Oct. 27: Celtics at Pelicans
The Pelicans haven’t had much luck against the Celtics in recent years. The last win against Boston came in the 2020-21 season. That’s eight straight losses, including one last season when a CJ McCollum shot at the buzzer didn’t stay down. Can the Pels finally end their eight-game skid? Maybe catching them early will help.
Nov. 14: Lakers at Pelicans
This is the Pelicans’ second game in group play of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. It’ll be the first time LeBron James and Luka Doncic have played as teammates in New Orleans. The Smoothie King Center should be rocking for this one.
Nov. 17: Thunder at Pelicans
Last season’s NBA champs come to the Smoothie King Center. OKC is trying to become the first team to repeat since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. The Thunder have owned the Pelicans in recent years. Led by last season’s MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC has won ten straight games against the Pelicans, including a sweep in the first round of the playoffs in the 2023-24 season.
Nov. 21: Pelicans at Mavericks
The third game in group play of the In-Season Tournament has the Pelicans on the road against Anthony Davis and the Mavericks. The Pelicans were hoping to win the draft lottery after last season, but it was the Mavs who won and selected Duke superstar Cooper Flagg.
Dec. 18: Rockets at Pelicans
The Rockets have added Kevin Durant to their roster and look to be a serious contender in the West after finishing as the conference’s No. 2 seed last season. This will be a good test for the Pelicans, who are trying to turn things around the same way the Rockets did last season.
March 8: Wizards at Pelicans
CJ McCollum, who spent the past 3½ seasons with the Pelicans, returns to New Orleans for the first time since the offseason trade. McCollum left his mark on the court and in the city and most certainly will get a video tribute in his first return. Pelicans’ newcomers Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey, acquired in the trade, will face their old team.
March 11: Raptors at Pelicans
Brandon Ingram hasn’t played in a game since getting injured last December against the OKC Thunder. The Pels traded him to Toronto before the trade deadline last season. Ingram makes his return to New Orleans, the city he called home for 5½ years.
March 19: Clippers at Pelicans
Who knows how long Chris Paul will keep playing? He signed a one-year, $3.6 million deal this offseason to return to L.A. after playing last season with the San Antonio Spurs. Paul, considered by most to be the best player in franchise history, returns to New Orleans for what very well could be his final season.
April 12: Pelicans at Timberwolves
Last season, the Pelicans shut down their star players by the time they reached the finish line. Playoff hopes were dashed long before the regular season finale. Pels head coach Willie Green, in his fifth season, has alternated making the playoffs in his first four years. He made it his first and third season and missed it in Years 2 and 4. Teams in the Western Conference have typically been jockeying for postseason position up until the last game. The Pelicans need this game to have some meaning.