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The Pelicans Need A Major Shakeup: 6 Players Who Don’t Belong On The Roster
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- The Pelicans Need A Major Shakeup: 6 Players Who Don’t Belong On The Roster
Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The New Orleans Pelicans have spent too much time convincing themselves that they are one or two moves away. And yet, here they are again.
After another disastrous 2025-26 campaign (26-56 record and 11th in the West), the Pelicans need to wake up and smell the coffee: this roster isn't working. There is too much talent for New Orleans to be this bad , which makes the problem even more concerning.
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At some point, the organization has to realize the core group isn't working. They seem to be looking for the future, hence the two-year, $16M deal with free agent Bennedict Mathurin .
The Pelicans have spent years building around Zion Williamson , shuffling role players around him, and waiting for everything to finally click. It hasn't, and the roster needs a major shakeup. Thankfully, it seems that Zion won't be getting a contract extension .
These six players represent very different problems. Some are talented, but they are either unreliable, expensive, difficult to build around, or simply don't fit anymore.
If the Pelicans are serious about changing their trajectory, these are six players who may no longer belong on the roster.
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6. DeAndre Jordan
This one is obvious. DeAndre Jorda n has had a nice NBA career, but at this stage of his career, Jordan's skill set simply doesn't match what the Pelicans need.
Jordan is 38 years old and is coming off a 2025-26 NBA campaign averaging 4.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game on 65.6% shooting from the field. He will be 39 at some point next season, and he is occupying a roster spot in a young man's league.
For a young team trying to figure out its future, every spot matters. The Pelicans should be using those opportunities to develop younger players or search for a modern big man capable of protecting the rim while keeping up with the speed of today's NBA.
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Veteran leadership is valuable, but the Pelicans don't need another reminder of what DeAndre Jordan used to be. He is on the books for $3,876,529 next season and will make even more in 2027-28 ($4,070,355). Very poor salary cap management by the Pelicans, overall.
5. Saddiq Bey
Saddiq Bey is another player whose strengths are easy to see as a big wing who can score and stretch the floor. He posted 17.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, and 0.1 BPG on 45.1% FG and 36.7% 3-PT FG over 72 games. He started 64 games due to the myriad injuries on the team.
So while he had a career year and is clearly productive, he doesn't fit what the Pelicans need. Bey will make $6,557,080 next season and could be a very useful trade asset at 27 years old. The Pelicans need to completely rebuild and focus on their under-25 players, and Bey is a player who doesn't fit.
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There is also a simple roster-building question: if the Pelicans are going to commit major minutes and money to their wings, shouldn't they be searching for players who can impact the game for the next decade?
Bey is talented enough to help somebody, and the question is whether that somebody should still be New Orleans. It probably shouldn't be.
4. Herb Jones
Herb Jones ($14,898,786) might be the most controversial name on this list because, defensively, he is one of the best players the Pelicans have.
But the question isn't whether Jones is valuable because we know he is. Even in a down season last year (8.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG), Jones can impact the game defensively. He averages a career 1.6 SPG and 0.7 BPG with a 113.7 defensive rating, having made the All-Defensive First Team already.
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It is obvious his overall skill set is imperfect for what New Orleans needs moving forward. Jones is an elite defender and the type of player every contender would love to have.
That's the good news, so the Pelicans need to cash in on their 27-year-old forward. The concern also comes in the half-court, particularly when the games slow down, and opponents have time to target weaknesses.
Jones is not an elite floor-spacer, and his age doesn't make him a great fit for the Pelicans. The Pelicans can't afford too many players whose offensive limitations allow defenses to shrink the floor.
And if New Orleans decides to finally make major changes, Jones could be more valuable as a trade asset than as another player they simply assume is untouchable.
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Sometimes the hardest player to trade isn't the one you dislike. It's the one everyone else wants.
3. Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray is a good player, and we haven't seen the best from him in a Pelicans jersey yet due to a very unfortunate torn Achilles tendon. The former All-Star only appeared in 14 games last season, posting 16.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 0.2 BPG on 48.4% FG and 30.6% 3-PT FG.
Even when healthy, Murray is at his best when he has the basketball. He likes to control the tempo, initiate the offense, and operate with enough possessions to find his rhythm. The Pelicans already have other players who need touches and opportunities to create as they grow, including Jeremiah Fears.
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When too many players need the ball to be effective, somebody eventually has to stand in the corner. And that's not necessarily the best use of the talent New Orleans has accumulated.
Murray can absolutely play for a playoff team, but the question is whether his particular strengths are worth building around when New Orleans is trying to find a more fluid offensive identity.
Murray will make $32,785,071 next season and has a $30,751,504 player option a year later, meaning he isn't on one of the best-value contracts right now . At 29 years old, Murray, with only a few weeks away from turning 30, clearly doesn't fit on the Pelicans anymore.
2. Jordan Poole
Jordan Poole can score, and we have faith he can still rediscover his best basketball. He suffered through a down year in 2025-26, posting 13.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 0.4 BPG on 37.2% FG and 33.3% 3-PT FG over 39 games. Clearly, Poole is better than that, as one of the former Warriors players who has fallen off the map .
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But generally, Poole's style can be difficult to fit into a rebuilding team's structure. His shot selection can be adventurous, his turnovers can be frustrating, and his defensive limitations don't help.
Then there is the contract. Poole will make $34,044,642 next season before hitting free agency, meaning he can be a perfect trade partner for any team looking to shed salary.
Paying significant money to a high-volume scorer with defensive concerns is a luxury New Orleans can't afford. Poole isn't the type of player who automatically makes a bad team good.
If anything, his game can sometimes make it difficult to establish the identity that good teams need. The Pelicans likely don't want to hold onto the 27-year-old shooter and might be better off moving him sooner rather than later.
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1. Zion Williamson
This is the hardest conversation the Pelicans have to have, and arguably the most important. We literally cannot keep saying "if Zion stays healthy and motivated" because there isn't much to trust anymore.
Yes, when Zion Williamson is healthy, there are very few players in basketball capable of doing what he does. That's why he has a lot to prove in the 2026-27 NBA season .
He posted 21.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.5 BPG on 60.0% FG and 25.0% 3-PT FG last season in a whopping 62 appearances.
But the Pelicans have been waiting for "at his best" for too long. He either struggles with health or focus, and the Pelicans need a complete identity reset.
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Building a franchise around a maximum-contract player requires more than believing in his ceiling. Zion will make $42,166,510 next season, followed by $44,886,930 in 2027-28. That makes everything harder.
Zion's presence affects the identity of the team, and eventually, the culture. The big man is too talented to be on a struggling franchise , and the franchise cannot keep relying on him. It's a two-way street.
The Pelicans may never find another player with Zion's talent. But at some point, they have to ask whether continuing to build around his potential is preventing them from building a long-term winner.
It's time for Zion to move on and get a fresh change in his career, and the Pelicans need a culture reset as well.
