The New Orleans Pelicans’ chaotic season took another turn this week. On Saturday, Nov. 15, the franchise fired head coach Willie Green after a 2-10 start, ending his five-year run amid mounting pressure and fan unrest.
According to reporting from Marc Stein, Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley has unexpectedly surfaced as a figure of interest for New Orleans, despite being under contract and off-limits.
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Jamahl Mosley Draws Surprise Interest From New Orleans
Associate head coach James Borrego has stepped into the lead role, but the organization’s long-term plans appear to stretch beyond its own bench and possibly across the conference.
Green entered the season widely viewed as one of the most vulnerable coaches in the league. By mid-November, the pressure proved too much to withstand. The Pelicans opened with six straight losses, briefly steadied with two wins, then collapsed again with another four-game skid.
The 2-10 start reflected deeper concerns about stagnation and the inability to build on earlier postseason appearances in the Green era.
The former Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns assistant coach finished his Pelicans tenure with a 150-190 record from 2021-22 through 2025-26, a run marked by flashes of competitiveness but also persistent inconsistency.
New Orleans hoped a reset would spark stability, but the team has since slipped to 2-13 and is riding a seven-game losing streak, placing them at the bottom of the Western Conference.
Stein wrote that one intriguing name has circulated among league sources: Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley. While emphasizing that Mosley is “not currently available,” Stein noted that New Orleans sees him as an ideal long-term fit.
His situation in Orlando has also attracted attention around the league due to high expectations in an injury-thinned Eastern Conference and the offseason acquisition of Desmond Bane.
“Another coaching name I’ve heard that would interest the Pelicans but is not currently available to them: Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley.”
“Green began the season on the shakiest footing of any coach in the league but Orlando is another situation that frequently grabs the attention of the league’s traveling whisperers in the scouting community. The main reason for that, of course, is the high expectations in the Magic Kingdom in an injury-weakened East after the splashy offseason acquisition of Desmond Bane.”
Stein added that the Magic made significant changes to its staff this past summer — adjustments reportedly driven by lead executive Jeff Weltman. The most notable addition was veteran assistant Joe Prunty, who now sits as Mosley’s top lieutenant.
“Another reason: Orlando made some changes to its bench this past offseason … changes that, league sources say, came at the urging of lead executive Jeff Weltman. The most notable newcomer: Well-traveled assistant and former Bucks and Hawks interim coach Joe Prunty as Mosley’s new No. 1 assistant.”
“To be clear, though, Mosley’s Magic have rebounded well from a 1-4 start. Orlando won five of its next seven games before a tough overtime loss Sunday night to the Houston Rockets, who many around the league think pose the foremost threat to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference outside of Denver.”
These shifts fueled speculation among scouts and league insiders, although Mosley’s position appears secure. For now, New Orleans continues with Borrego while conducting a wider search.