The Jordan Poole era in New Orleans has taken another drastic turn, as his return to the Pelicans' rotation has been cut short. Leading up to the trade deadline, Poole was removed from New Orleans' rotation for nine straight games, with reports suggesting the move was made with the hope of trading him. Obviously, nothing came of that, and following the All-Star break, he was back in the Pelicans rotation, but his return was short-lived as Poole has suffered five straight DNPs.
With Dejounte Murray now back and at mostly full health and the next step Jeremiah Fears has taken since scaling to a smaller backup guard role, the Pelicans' need for Poole on a nightly basis is practically zero.
When Poole was acquired in the 2025 offseason, he was viewed as one of, if not the team's biggest additions. For a team that just moved on from Brandon Ingram, this group needed some form of floor spacing and shot creation, and Poole was coming off a career year with the Wizards, where he did just that. But now the combination of injuries, the lack of efficiency, the other talent in the team's guard room, and this being Poole's second extended stretch of DNPs in his Pelicans tenure, his time in New Orleans may be over before he even plays 40 games.
Why the Pelicans can’t afford to reinsert Jordan Poole
The Pelicans have reached a point where Poole's services are no longer needed, especially at his $34+ million price tag.
After the first time Poole was removed from the team's rotation, I was all for reinserting him after the All-Star break so he could build his value up and help New Orleans get a somewhat positive return this summer. Now, I feel the exact opposite.
The Pels have found a groove. Since Feb. 20, they have an above-.500 record, the ball is moving well, and both Murray and Fears have done an excellent job running the team's offense. So, just to throw Poole back into that mix with the hope he can boost his trade value with less than 20 games left in the season would be counterproductive and potentially hurt the development of Fears.
So while it may be a tough pill for some Pelicans fans to swallow, even if not playing Poole for the remainder of the season means the Pelicans must attach future assets to move him this summer, so be it. One thing the coaching staff can't afford to do (unless an injury) is put Poole back in the team's full-time rotation, as the touches currently going to Fears and Murray provide more value than they would if Poole were back in the rotation.