The Pelicans went 49-33 in 2023/24 and entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference after winning their second play-in game. However, they were swept by Oklahoma City in the first round, leading to questions about the direction of the roster.
A plethora of injuries derailed New Orleans' 2024/25 campaign, as the team went just 21-61, the second-worst win-loss percentage (.256) in franchise history. That led to the February 2025 trade of Brandon Ingram and the end-of-season dismissal of former head of basketball operations David Griffin, who had been with the team since 2019, when the Pelicans landed the No. 1 overall pick and selected Zion Williamson.
Instead of embarking on a full-fledged search for a new front office executive, owner Gayle Benson instead quickly hired Shreveport native Joe Dumars, who had been working in the league office since 2022. Dumars, a Hall of Fame shooting guard who spent his entire playing career with Detroit, was previously the Pistons' top basketball executive as well as an advisor in Sacramento.
Dumars' first major hire was a surprising one -- he added former Pistons GM Troy Weaver as his top lieutenant (Weaver holds dual titles of senior VP of basketball operations and general manager). Dumars' tenure in Detroit didn't overlap with Weaver's at all, but obviously they were familiar with one another.
The new front office regime in New Orleans, which also features Dumars' son Jordan Dumars, made some significant roster moves last summer, starting with trading CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a 2027 second-round pick to the Wizards for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey (who missed all of '24/25 due to a torn ACL) and the 2025 second-round pick that turned into Micah Peavy.
That trade was a mixed bag. Poole had a disappointing first season as a Pelican following a modest bounce-back year as a Wizard in '24/25. On the plus side, Bey vastly outplayed his team-friendly deal in his return from a major knee injury, and Peavy showed some flashes as a rookie.
The second deal was a major one, as the Pelicans sent last year's No. 23 overall pick and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder -- the most favorable of their own pick or the Bucks' -- to the Hawks to move up to No. 13 and select Derik Queen. The former Maryland big man had a promising rookie campaign, but obviously the opportunity cost was significant. We'll find out in two days at the draft lottery where the 2026 first-rounder will land, but there's a 90% chance it will be in the top eight and a 40% chance it'll be a top-four selection.
The Dumars-led front office filled out last season's roster with big men Kevon Looney (two years, $16MM including a team option) and DeAndre Jordan (minimum salary). They combined to play just 33 games in '25/26, but provided examples of veteran leadership to a relatively young group.
While the Pelicans had better health luck in '25/26 and their roster looked a little different, their on-court results were very similar. They finished just 25-56, registering the third-worst win percentage (.317) in franchise history and tying for the seventh-worst mark in the league. Now the big question is if New Orleans will prioritize continuity or consider retooling the roster again this summer.
The Pelicans' Offseason Plans
The first order of business for the Pelicans is finding a new permanent head coach. Rajon Rondo, Steve Hetzel, James Borrego and Darvin Ham are said to be the frontrunners for the job, but that was before the Magic fired Jamahl Mosley, whom the Pelicans are reportedly fans of. It's unclear if Mosley will factor into the search.
