Record0-02026-27
Last 10—
Net rating-4.42025-26 · ORtg 113.3 · DRtg 117.6
Pace101.4eFG% 52.7 · TS% 56.8
Injuries20 out · 0 questionable
Rumors3tagged in the last feeds
Podcast
All episodes · RSSPelicans Tip-Off · every morning · Jordan Reyes & Marcus Hale
First episode with the preseason
Your team, every morning: last night, tonight, what changed. 8–12 minutes, and Pelicans Final within half an hour of every buzzer. Subscribe to the feed and the first one arrives on its own.
The hosts
Jordan Reyes · host
Runs the show. Grew up on League Pass and box scores. Believes in the team until the numbers say otherwise, then argues with Marcus.
Marcus Hale · analyst
The numbers desk. Lineups, on/off, cap sheets. Dry, precise, allergic to hype. Keeps the receipts every Friday.
Salary cap · 2026-27
Full cap sheet$202.2M$37.3M over the $165.0M cap · 18 contracts
Williamson
Poole
Murray
III
Zion Williamson $42.2M · Jordan Poole $34.0M · Dejounte Murray $32.8M · Trey Murphy III $27.0M
The morning briefing · free · one email a day
What changed, every morning
Last night, tonight, injuries, rumors and the standings move — for the Pelicans, before your coffee. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.
Video
All Pelicans videoTop 10 Must-See Pelicans Home Games: No.10-6 | Pelicans Podcast
New Orleans Pelicans schedule breakdown | Pelicans Podcast
Pelicans Open Camp for 2026-27 With Zion, Murray Leading a Retooled Roster
newsroom · 2 h agoNew Orleans sits at 0-0 as camp opens for the 2026-27 season, still building off a 26-56 finish last year. The regular-season opener is set for Oct. 21 at home against Indiana, with four preseason games on the schedule first. Two rotation pieces, Bryce McGowens and Micah Peavy, carry Day-To-Day tags into the buildup.
The Season Ahead
New Orleans sits at 0-0 heading into the 2026-27 season, with the regular-season opener set for Oct. 21 at home against the Indiana Pacers. Before that, the Pelicans run a preseason slate: at Oklahoma City on Oct. 6, at Miami on Oct. 8, at Dallas on Oct. 14, and a home game against Washington on Oct. 16. The regular season stretches 80 games, with four of them on national television. Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones anchor a roster that also includes second-year center Yves Missi, rookie big man Derik Queen, and guard Jeremiah Fears, entering his second season. Camp opens with the roster largely set and no results yet to judge.
Last Season By The Numbers
New Orleans finished 2025-26 at 26-56. The offense scored 115.5 points per game with a 113.3 offensive rating, while the defense allowed enough to post a 117.6 defensive rating, for a net rating of -4.4. The Pelicans played at a 101.4 pace, shot 52.7 effective field-goal percentage and posted a 56.8 true shooting mark. Individually, Trey Murphy III led the team at 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists over 66 games, shooting 37.9 percent from three. Zion Williamson averaged 21.0 points and 5.7 rebounds in 62 games. Saddiq Bey added 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds across 72 games, and Jeremiah Fears played all 82 games, averaging 14.3 points as a rookie.
Injury Report
Two players carry Day-To-Day tags into camp. Bryce McGowens is dealing with a right toe and leg issue, with an estimated return date of Oct. 1. Micah Peavy is also Day-To-Day, listed for rest, with the same estimated return of Oct. 1. Both timelines put them back before the preseason finishes and well ahead of the Oct. 21 opener against Indiana. Last season McGowens appeared in 42 games, averaging 8.1 points and shooting 40.9 percent from three, so his health matters for New Orleans' backcourt depth. Peavy, in his second season, played a rotation role last year and profiles as part of the wing mix once healthy.
Who's In, Who's Out
New Orleans loses two players from last season's roster. Kevon Looney has moved on to the Lakers, and Trey Alexander is now with the Jazz. Everyone else listed on the current roster is back, including rookies Jaron Pierre Jr. and Malik Dia, both entering their first NBA season, and second-year players Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, Karlo Matković and Yves Missi. Veteran center DeAndre Jordan, 38 years old and in his 18th season, remains on the roster as well. Dejounte Murray, who played just 14 games last season due to injury but averaged 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists in that stretch, is back running the point.
Front Office Buzz
Two roundup items touch New Orleans this offseason. A Sept. 5 piece on cap observations grouped the Pelicans with the Cavaliers and Raptors in a discussion of the stretch provision, the cap mechanism teams use to spread out a waived player's remaining money. The same day, an And-Ones roundup covering Brewer, Doumbouya, NBA TV and Sane included New Orleans in its notes. Neither report ties the Pelicans to a specific trade or signing; both read as general-interest roundups rather than reports of an actual move. Fans should treat these as league-wide notes worth watching rather than moves already in progress.
Questions fans ask
When do the Pelicans open the 2026-27 season?
New Orleans opens the regular season at home against the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 21, 2026.
What was the Pelicans' record last season?
New Orleans went 26-56 in 2025-26.
Who is banged up heading into camp?
Bryce McGowens (right toe/leg) and Micah Peavy (rest) are both Day-To-Day, each with an estimated return of Oct. 1.
Which players left the team this offseason?
Kevon Looney signed with the Lakers and Trey Alexander is now with the Jazz.
Who led the Pelicans in scoring last season?
Trey Murphy III led the team at 21.5 points per game over 66 games, just ahead of Zion Williamson's 21.0 points per game in 62 games.
How many Pelicans games will be on national TV this season?
Four of New Orleans' 80 regular-season games are scheduled for national television.
What changed
Last 36 hoursRUM
Community Shootaround: Pelicans’ Quiet Offseason · 15 min ago
RUM
Cap Observations: Pelicans, Cavs, Raptors, Stretch Provision · 6 h ago
RUM
And-Ones: Brewer, Doumbouya, NBA TV, Sane · 6 h ago
INJ
Micah Peavy: Day-To-Day (Rest · Other) · 6 h ago
INJ
Bryce McGowens: Day-To-Day (Toe · Leg · Right) · 6 h ago
Injury tracker
updated 3 min ago| Player | Status | Injury | Est. return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce McGowens | Day-To-Day | Toe · Leg · Right | 2026-10-01 |
| Micah Peavy | Day-To-Day | Rest · Other | 2026-10-01 |
Rotation tracker · player stock
expectedExpected rotation · minutes from 2025-26
Order = last season's minutes for the players on this roster; the real rotation replaces it after the first regular-season game.
Schedule
Full 2026-27 schedule · 84 games8:00 PM ET
NOP
OKC
Tue, Oct 6
7:30 PM ET
NOP
MIA
Thu, Oct 8
8:00 PM ET
NOP
DAL
Wed, Oct 14
8:00 PM ET
WAS
NOP
Fri, Oct 16
8:00 PM ET
IND
NOP
Wed, Oct 21
9:30 PM ET
NOP
UTA
Fri, Oct 23
Head-to-head
Pelicans vs every teamRoster
20 players| # | Player | Pos | Ht | Age | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Jeremiah Fears | G | 6-3 | 19 | 14.3 | 3.7 | 3.4 |
| 1 | Zion Williamson | F | 6-6 | 26 | 21.0 | 5.7 | 3.2 |
| 2 | Herbert Jones | F | 6-7 | 27 | 8.9 | 3.4 | 2.8 |
| 3 | Jordan Poole | G | 6-4 | 27 | 13.4 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
| 4 | Kobe Bufkin | G | 6-4 | 22 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| 5 | Dejounte Murray | G | 6-4 | 29 | 16.7 | 5.4 | 6.4 |
| 6 |  DeAndre Jordan | C | 6-11 | 38 | 4.4 | 6.3 | 0.9 |
| 8 | Malik Dia | F | 6-9 | 22 | — | — | — |
| 9 | Trendon Watford | G-F | 6-8 | 25 | 6.5 | 3.3 | 2.5 |
| 10 | Jaron Pierre Jr. | G | 6-5 | 24 | — | — | — |
| 11 | Bryce McGowens | G | 6-6 | 23 | 8.1 | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| 14 | Micah Peavy | G-F | 6-7 | 25 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 1.0 |
| 17 | Karlo Matković | F-C | 6-10 | 25 | 5.7 | 3.7 | 0.8 |
| 21 | Yves Missi | C | 6-11 | 22 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 1.3 |
| 22 | Derik Queen | C | 6-9 | 21 | 11.7 | 7.1 | 3.7 |
| 24 | Jordan Hawkins | G | 6-5 | 24 | 5.1 | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| 25 | Trey Murphy III | F | 6-8 | 26 | 21.5 | 5.7 | 3.8 |
| 33 | Caleb Houstan | G | 6-8 | 23 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| 35 | Christian Koloko | C | 6-11 | 26 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 0.7 |
| 41 | Saddiq Bey | G-F | 6-8 | 27 | 17.7 | 5.6 | 2.5 |
Per-game stats: 2025-26 (last season, until the new one tips off).
Trade radar
3 taggedhoopsrumors · 17 min ago
hoopsrumors · 19 h ago
hoopsrumors · 2 d ago
Team stats 2025-26: 115.5 PPG · 43.9 RPG · 25.1 APG