Despite the New Orleans Pelicans suffering their second straight sub-30-win season, the front office enters the 2026 offseason feeling they aren’t far off from being competitive next season. When looking at the team's current roster makeup, Troy Weaver and Joe Dumars’ thought process isn't crazy. With a roster featuring Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, Dejounte Murray, and young talent like Yves Missi, Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, and Bryce McGowens, the front office is working with a decent core.
The blueprint is there, but if the goal is to have this group competing for a top 10 seed in the Western Conference next season, some reshuffling and changes are needed. But the goal can't simply be adding talent—it has to be more intentional than that, as the front office needs to fill very specific holes this offseason.
Top to bottom, the Pelicans have a very talented group, but they lack the balance and versatility to consistently punish opponents. New Orleans is especially loaded at the wing spot with Jones, Bey, and Murphy III all being starting-caliber forwards in the league, and they are equally strong at guard with Fears and Murray in the backcourt. Those two areas aren’t priorities. Where the Pelicans could be looking for reinforcements is in the middle and by adding more perimeter scoring.
How the Pelicans can balance their roster
The trio of Zion, Murray, and Murphy III gives New Orleans a strong foundation for a starting five, but without the other two starters complementing their skills, they'll never reach their potential. With Zion and Murray both being primary downhill scorers who make defenses pay by scoring inside the arc, surrounding them with space to drive and kick to the perimeter is key to success. However, this past season, the Pelicans struggled to do that, finishing 24th in three-point percentage, 25th in three-point attempts, and 27th in makes.
Adding some more floor spacing to New Orleans’ backcourt would take pressure off Murphy III as the team's primary perimeter shot creator and open the offense up more for Zion and Murray to cook.
On the flip side, the Pelicans also find themselves in a place where the defensive side of the ball can't be neglected, and that starts with who they employ at the five. New Orleans finished with the 23rd defensive rating this past regular season, and a major factor was the team's lack of a true backline defender. Yves Missi was awesome and is going to be a high-quality energy big for years to come, but he is still so early in his development that it's not the time to truly hand him the keys as the team's starting center.
Considering Zion is entering his 8th year in the NBA in 2026-27, the entire NBA community has accepted that he will never become an elite defensive player or a beast on the glass. This makes pairing him with a rim-protecting rebound hunter in the frontcourt all the more important.
Dumars and Weaver aren't going to be building the Pelicans from the ground up this offseason, as there are a ton of exciting pieces in place. After appointing a new head coach, adding perimeter scoring and finding stability at center aren't options—they're a necessary next step.
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