The Pelicans are having “serious” internal discussions about head coach Willie Green, league sources tell Brett Siegel and Chris Dodson of ClutchPoints.
After winning just 21 games last season, the Pelicans revamped their front office and retooled their roster during the offseason. Amid those changes, however, Green held onto his head coaching job under new executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars.
New Orleans entered this fall hoping for a bounce-back season, but the team hasn’t gotten off to a good start. After tight losses to Memphis and San Antonio, the Pelicans have been blown out in each of their last two games, losing by 32 points at home to Boston on Monday and by 34 in Denver on Wednesday.
Sources tell ClutchPoints that multiple Pelicans players have appeared frustrated by Green’s lineup decisions and that there’s a growing sense around the league that the fifth-year coach has lost the locker room.
The Pelicans will play on Friday against the Clippers in L.A. and on Sunday against the Thunder in Oklahoma City before returning home. It’s possible a decision on Green’s future will be made at the conclusion of that road trip, according to Siegel and Dodson, who say assistant James Borrego would be the favorite to take over in the event of a coaching change.
Green has a record of 148-184 (.446) since being hired by New Orleans in 2021. The team has made the playoffs twice during Green’s tenure and won 49 regular season games in 2023/24, but hasn’t advanced beyond the first round, losing to the Suns in six games in 2022 and to the Thunder in four games in 2024.
Following Wednesday’s one-sided loss in Denver, which dropped the Pelicans to 0-4, Green said that the club needs to “dig down and find our identity,” per Rod Walker of NOLA.com.
“We have to believe in each other. That’s first,” he said. “The first order of business is you’ve got to compete harder, play harder, play more together and the belief has to be there.”
I watched 1 NOP game this season, and I thoroughly regret spending my time on it. There’s virtually nothing interesting or exciting about that team, apart from occasional Zion plays.
I have no words about Jordan Poole…
The decision to trade away that unprotected first increasingly looks like a disaster.
Team shoot 3 pointers at 28%
Fears and Queen can’t even shoot free throws.
Solution is trade
Trade
Trade
Trade
No coach is going to be able to win with that roster.
Yeah the roster is soooo bad. This was the whole disconnect when they traded the pick this summer. Nobody but them thought the roster wasnt dog s***.
this organization is a mess, i don’t think it’s all on willie
You fire a good GM to hire a dumpster fire, who proceeds to destroy your draft potential in one of the most loaded in years, by dealing away what could be 2 top 5 picks for magic beans. Yeah ill say…
I laughed so hard at that trade and the Bane trade the moment they happened. Gigantic losses for the Pelicans and Magic as long as the draft picks aren’t gigantic busts and/or top picks that magically fall 3+ spots in the draft.
The Magic look dumb now with how they have stumbled, but I think this has to still be one of the better rosters in the east now, and for the next several seasons. Most of the picks are going to end up in the bottom half the first, and all the main players are under contract until they have conveyed. You also have to remember that part of the value exchange in the trade was dumping KCPs money, which would have cost you one of the better picks. As far as traded unprotected firsts go I would say those are relatively low value picks.
Oh and Bane is a pretty good player, so he has value on the per year hes being paid.
That was still a massive overpay for a middle of the pack teams 3RD best player. It was more like 3 firsts and a 4th added to eat KCP’s contract too. With how injuries have flipped the game in recent years, if Banchero or Wagner get a season ending injury in any of those seasons the draft pick is even higher.
I mean one was protected, one was this year, and the other two you expect to be bad. They already used a couple of them, and they werent moved as high value assets like a Suns pick would be.
The sun’s trade for that Duke C that they aren’t even playing is the worst of this draft, but I think this trade was bad from the moment it happened. Trading a teams future for a 3rd best player from a middle of the pack team was a massive overpay. I understand every East team going for it with the top 2 teams best players from last year out for the season, I just never saw Bane as a missing piece for a championship.
As a hawks fan I want to say keep up the good work Mr. Green the Pelicans can be better next year after the draft!
Which organization is worse, NOP or the Kangz?
Has to be sac . For their dysfunction at least Pels have some young dudes
Kings GM is world #1 passive guy
He likes dream
Which team would have more assets after a teardown? I think NOP could liquidate for more picks.
Home attendance is horrible, they’re subsidized by the league, fixed draft picks haven’t panned out, decades of incompetence, zero banners.. lol Joe Dumars
Why do I have the feeling somehow AKME makes a deal for Zion???
Zion – $39,446,090/$42,166,510/$44,886,930M
Vucevic – $21,481,481M/
Williams – $18,000,000/$18,000,000/$18,000,000/$18,000,000 (P/O)
2027 1st round top 5 protected.
I believe AKME might think now is the time to buy low on Zion and team him up with Giddey and Buzelis and possibly Ayo/Coby (can’t choose both).
……….
Interesting. Other than the pick, there isn’t much in it for New Orleans. More realistically, it would have to be your 2026 pick (which will likely be in the teens) + one more first with some protections.
Would you want that? Collins, Zion, Giddey, Buzelis + 1 wing/guard. Do you like that 5? Or Zion at the 5 as a starter and 1 more wing/guard instead of Collins. Giddey plays best when his usage is not very high and pairs nicely with another ball handler/creator.
Chicago’s books would look good after that trade.
Why didn’t you re-sign Dosunmu in the summer? He always looked good to me and deserving of a deal. He’s healthy now and will play himself into a bigger contract.
Don’t overpay Coby White. Or don’t re-sign him at all. I’d do the latter.
No way am I giving up 2 1’s for Zion when he’s had a history of injuries or weight issues. I don’t mind giving up the 2026 pick but there’s not a snowball chance in hell for getting 2 1’s for Zion. Joe Dumars isn’t exactly the smartest GM to negotiate with.
Also for the Ayo comment, I think they couldn’t resign him because he was RD2 pick? I think he has to play out the full contract and then bird’s rights would be earned? Don’t quote me on that though. Not entirely sure, and I agree Coby should be dealt to a team seeking shooting and some playmaking skills. We need to get younger and more athletic next few years.
You have to look at it from NOP’s perspective, too. 1 pick doesn’t do it for them.
Dosunmu was eligible for an extension, but there was a limit on how much you could pay him. It’s $89m/4 years, same as White. He would have accepted 4/50 or maybe even lower, like 4/42. That would’ve been a good deal for your team. But the way he’s playing now, he’ll ask for more.
If you believe in players, you gotta give them contracts when you have the opportunity.
Get younger? Giddey 23, Buzelis 21, Dosunmu and Jones 25, Huerter and Collins 27. We haven’t seen Essengue yet, who’s 18. That’s a young team. Other than Vuc.
But yes, you need physicality.
I meant younger bigs. Sorry, we need young big men, which we do not have.
Bane is negative asset, overpaid
Grizzlies should send draft picks to Magic
Yes?
The Pelicans need to be on the hot seat. No clear direction since the Chris Paul days, the Rondo/AD/Cousins days, Lonzo, the Zion catastrophe. They fired Griffin. Who’s the new GM? They drafted Jeremiah Fears who I like. They should’ve traded Zion when they could. The team design just doesn’t make sense. Even my boy is there and it doesn’t make sense. They’re up there with the Hornets and Wizards and Jazz for worst run organizations. We need like 24-25 teams. And hiring Dumars was another smart Pelicans move. If I was Willie, I’d be hoping to leave that dumpster fire.
Poole has cashed those checks faster than he can not practice and up his game. He’ll be out of the league when his contract expires. Draymond should’ve punched him right out of the league and to China.
But fire your GM not Green.
I mean… that’s why Borrego stayed… he knew he’d get to audition and possibly keep the job.
If nothing else, get a nice pay raise the rest of the season.
First order of business… Hire a coach who can magically keep Zion healthy…
It won’t solve all their numerous problems, of course, but it would help.
Since 2023 😝
Pelicans have potential but are just poorly run and in fairness I don’t think Green is a good coach.
You’ve got talent with guys like Zion and Trey, Dejounte is there, Poole Fears Missi Herb and Queen.
Definitely a tough spot but you make the right moves this team is right back on track.
Maybe DeJounte and Missi for Gobert, Shannon Jr and Miller.
TWolves get a good starting point guard in Murray to pair with Ant and he fits in well both in the locker room and the court. As for the Pels you add a solid vet that can protect the rim and offer some defence and rebounds.
Then maybe Jordan Poole, Fears, and 2 protected first for Trae Young.
Hawks move Dyson to PG and Poole is almost like for like for Trae and you add young guard is Fears and some picks. Pels get a PG that can score at will, but more importantly facilitate the entire offence and get Gobert being productive and get Trey and Zion easier shots.
Trae Trey Herb Zion Gobert
Jose Shannon Jr Bey Queen Looney
Trae’s poor defence is hidden by Herb and Gobert, two elite defenders. You have an elite playmaker and shot taker in Trae.You have Zion’s X factor and athleticism and Trey Murphy as your more dependable excellent 2 way player.
Off the bench you have defence, you have youth and you have more athleticism.
Just need the right coach to make it all come together and click. You’ve got Micheal Malone, Taylor Jenkins, Bud and Thibs all there. Borrego has some wraps. I really like Sam Cassell aswell.