When the New Orleans Pelicans hired Jamahl Mosley, I had mixed opinions. Through the entire coaching process, I was a Steve Hetzel guy, as I felt he brought the developmental skills to unlock the most with that group. However, Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver had their eyes on Mosley for a while, and as the offseason progresses, I see exactly why. It’s a very strange approach for a front office to enter an offseason after 26-wins and not look to shake things up at all. But it also tips its cap to what the plan may actually be.
See, with the mix of rising young talent and valuable veterans, New Orleans is in a place where, come teh trade deadline, if they’re struggling, they can sell hard and acquire a ton of future assets. Between Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones and Saddiq Bey, they have players that could all easily net returns centered around picks and young talent.
The ability to pivot is exactly why the franchise hired Mosley as their head coach, because he can fit both timelines. In Orlando, Mosley was both the head coach of a rebuild and the head coach of a playoff contender, and that fits New Orleans perfectly.
Mosley can coach two different timelines
Initially, it was daunting to see Mosley sign a five-year deal with the Pelicans. Nothing on this team was a sure thing, and they had just won 47 games over a two-season span. But that was because many of us were thinking of Mosley as that head coach who just brought Orlando to three straight playoff berths, not as the guy who got them out of the gutter.
The immediate goal for Mosley in year one with the Pelicans is to win and compete for the franchise's first playoff berth since 2023-24. But what if guys are hurt or the team just isn’t clicking, and they get to the deadline in a similar place to where they were last season, with a 13-40 record? Some teams would be pigeonholed into holding onto everything and reevaluating in the offseason, but with a coach like Mosley New Orleans could transition into an actual rebuild.
Depending on how the Bucks' season fares, the Pelicans could have two top-four picks if both them and Milwaukee land in the top four of the draft. While the 2027 class may not have an obvious superstar at the top as 2025 or 2026 did, it does have a ton of guys with All-Star potential. You mix even one top-four guy in with Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen long-term, and that’s a fun route to building a new, exciting young core, with a perfect coach to have players grow under.
Mosley got to Orlando in Franz Wagner's rookie year and then played a part in the Magic's decision to select Paolo Banchero going into his second season. He knows how to develop and build something special with young talent, and while I’m not sure Fears or Queen have the upside Orlando’s duo had, it's a strong starting point.
That duality Mosley has as a head coach isn’t common in the NBA nowadays, as oftentimes you’re either a developmental coach or a win-now coach. Mosley’s experiences in both roles is what makes the Pelicans decision to hire him an absolute home run.
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