Pelicans Are Betting Big on Patience — and It's a Dangerous Game

The New Orleans Pelicans had one of the quietest summers in the NBA. And for a team that just went 26-56, silence isn't golden — it's deafening.

Sure, they made a splash by hiring Jamahl Mosley as head coach back in May. But beyond that? Crickets. No big trades. No splashy free agents. Just the same roster that's now missed the playoffs two years running, hoping that something — anything — clicks.

Offseason at a glance

Key additions: None (unless you count second-round pick Jaron Pierre Jr. and role players Kobe Bufkin and Hunter Dickinson).
Key retentions: DeAndre Jordan, who played 12 games last season, got a two-year deal. Why? Veteran leadership, apparently.
Key subtractions: Kevon Looney, whose team option was declined.

That's it. That's the whole offseason. The Pelicans brought back 14 of the 15 players from a squad that won 26 games. ESPN's Zach Kram slapped a D grade on this summer, and honestly, that might be generous.

The big question: Will the quiet offseason pay off?

Probably not. But here's the thing — the front office might actually know what it's doing by staying put. This roster is talented, but wildly inconsistent and injury-prone. Dejounte Murray played just 14 games last season after rupturing his Achilles the year before. Zion Williamson finally played 60+ games for just the third time in his career, and he looked like the Zion of old at times. Trey Murphy III broke out with career highs across the board: 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals.

And the rookies? Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears showed serious promise as first-year players. The Pelicans didn't even let them touch summer league — a move that screams "we already know what we have."

But here's the problem: the West is a bloodbath, and this team is stuck in mud. The Pelicans have won fewer than 30 games in two straight seasons. Running it back with the same pieces isn't a strategy — it's a hope.

Can Jamahl Mosley fix the defense?

The new coach knows defense. His Orlando Magic teams ranked top three in defensive rating in 2023-24 and 2024-25. The Pelicans? Bottom 10 in each of the past two seasons. So there's a path to improvement.

But Mosley also has to untangle a messy rotation. Fears is fighting for minutes with Dejounte Murray and Jordan Poole. Queen and Zion feel redundant. Does Mosley lean on his vets or his prospects? The front office hasn't made that decision easy.

X factor: Herbert Jones

Jones was an All-Defensive first-teamer in 2023-24 and shot 42% from three that season. Since then? Injuries and regression — he's down to 31% from deep over the last two years. If the 28-year-old can find his old form, he could either boost the Pelicans toward play-in contention or become a valuable trade chip by the deadline.

Fantasy sleeper alert

Don't sleep on Jeremiah Fears. After the All-Star break, the 19-year-old averaged 29.3 fantasy points in 26.1 minutes per game. That late-season surge is a sign of things to come. He's a legit Year 2 breakout candidate.

So sure, the Pelicans' summer was quiet. But the real noise starts in October. Either Mosley works miracles, Zion stays healthy, and the young guns take the leap — or this whole "patience" thing looks like a wasted year.