Pelicans Rumors

Pelicans Notes: Borrego, Green, Dumars, Poole, Coaching Search

The Pelicans had a new head coach for Sunday’s game against Golden State, but the result was familiar, writes Les East of NOLA.com. Playing its first game under James Borrego, who was promoted after Willie Green was fired on Saturday, New Orleans suffered its fifth straight loss and fell to 2-11 on the season.

“We’ve got a lot to do,” Borrego said. “The beauty of this game is you come back to work the next day. … It doesn’t get any easier. We’ve got another juggernaut coming in.”

He was referring to Monday’s contest against 13-1 Oklahoma City, which provides another tough challenge for a team badly in need of wins. Borrego made his first lineup change on Sunday, giving a first career start to rookie big man Derik Queen, who finished with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists in 24-plus minutes. The Pelicans got balanced scoring with four players in double figures, but committed 20 turnovers that resulted in 27 Warriors points.

“There were costly, careless turnovers in transition,” Borrego said. “We’ve got to have more poise. There’s a balance between playing fast and frenetic and playing with poise. We’ve got to be opportunistic (in transition).”

There’s more from New Orleans:

  • There was surprise around the league that Green wasn’t fired sooner considering the Pelicans’ poor start, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto hears that executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars was supportive of Green early in the season, but conveyed a constant message that the team needed to improve. Sources tell Scotto that offseason addition Jordan Poole was upset after being removed from the starting lineup on October 29, and Green’s coaching style had become “stale” with Trey Murphy III. Scotto adds that some players and other members of the organization believed Green didn’t do enough to hold Zion Williamson accountable.
  • Dumars held a meeting with his staff this summer where he talked about emphasizing defense, toughness, high basketball IQ and a high motor, then completed a trade an hour later for Poole, who doesn’t fit that description, sources tell Scotto. Poole’s salary of $31.8MM this season and $34MM in 2026/27 was considered “a tough contract to move” by rival executives, Scotto adds. That trade and the deal sending an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to Atlanta in exchange for Queen were pushed by senior vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver, Dumars’ long-time associate, Scotto reports.
  • Weaver is also a strong supporter of Kevin Ollie, who has been mentioned as a possibility to eventually take over as head coach, Scotto adds. Scotto cites Tom Thibodeau, Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins as free agent coaches who might interest the Pelicans, but speculates that their “price tags could be too rich” for the team. Marc Stein of The Stein Line points to Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as a name to watch in the coaching search in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

Pelicans Notes: Ollie, Borrego, Head Coaching Job, Dumars

Former UConn head coach Kevin Ollie, who was interim coach of the Nets at the end of the 2023/24 season, is among the candidates for the Pelicans‘ head coaching job, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

A journeyman guard who played for 11 different teams in his 13 NBA seasons, Ollie began his coaching career after retiring as a player in 2010. He was the head coach at UConn from 2012-18 and won a national title with the Huskies in 2014 but lost his job after the NCAA opened an investigation into UConn and its coaches for recruiting violations.

Ollie was also the head coach of the Overtime Elite program from 2021-23 and was a finalist for the Pistons’ top coaching job in the 2023 offseason.

James Borrego, who is expected to remain interim coach of the Pelicans for the rest of the season in the wake of Willie Green‘s dismissal, will also be considered for the full-time role, Begley adds.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

  • While Borrego is respected by the new front office led by executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars, Chris Dodson of ClutchPoints hears there’s skepticism the former Hornets coach will replace Green on a permanent basis. Citing a source, Dodson says Dumars is “quietly” looking for a new head coach who could “completely shake up the organization and reset the culture.” Dodson lists the six external candidates he views as the best fits for the position, including Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins.
  • On a conference call with the media, Dumars explained his rationale for firing Green, as Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com relays. “I was looking for the team to compete hard every night,” Dumars said Saturday, reiterating a message he delivered at his introductory press conference in April. “If we start losing the same way over and over again, that’s not improvement. That was really the one thing I talked to the coaching staff about, ‘Guys, we have to establish that we’re going to play hard every night.’ Before you can become anything in this league, you have to establish that first as a team. It was that judgment (that led to a change) more than identity, more than the offense or defense, or the won-loss record.”
  • When asked if he was concerned about trading the team’s 2026 first-round pick in a draft-day deal with Atlanta (to acquire Derik Queen), Dumars said he hasn’t been thinking about it, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). “I’m not sitting here worried about the pick that we don’t have,” Dumars said.

Pelicans Dismiss Head Coach Willie Green

10:55 am: Borrego will remain the interim coach for the remainder of the season, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets.


8:41 am: The Pelicans have fired head coach Willie Green, NBA insider Chris Haynes reports (via Twitter). James Borrego will take over as the team’s interim coach, per Marc J. Spears of ESPN (Twitter link).

The change comes as no surprise. New Orleans has lost four straight and sits at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 2-10 record.

It was reported last month that they were having “serious” internal discussions about Green’s future. Team owner Gayle Benson told NOLA.com this week that any decision on Green’s job status would be made by executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars.

The Pelicans released a statement confirming Green’s dismissal and Borrego’s promotion.

“After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at head coach,” Dumars said in the statement. “I have the utmost respect for Willie Green, and I’m sincerely appreciative of his contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community. We wish him and his family all the best in the future.”

Benson also confirmed that Dumars made the decision to relieve Green of his duties.

“As I have stated, Joe Dumars is in charge of basketball operations decisions, and as one of the best basketball minds in the business, I trust him to make the right decisions for our franchise,” she said. “I have tremendous admiration and respect for Willie Green, and I truly appreciate all he has done for our organization over the last few years. This is a tough business and these are difficult decisions. My expectation is to be a winning team that competes for championships, and I remain steadfast in our commitment to building a championship-caliber organization for our players, partners, and above all, our fans.”

Green was named New Orleans’ head coach prior to the 2021/22 season and the team’s record steadily improved during his first three seasons. The Pelicans posted 36 wins in his first year, 42 the next and 49 in 2023/24. They made the playoffs in two of those seasons, falling in the first round both times.

Everything fell apart last season with injuries to multiple rotation players greasing the skids for a 21-61 season. Dumars was hired afterward and chose to stick with Green in the short term, but the club’s disastrous start led to his dismissal.

Pivoting to Borrego is also not a surprise.

Earlier this month, Marc Stein reported that Borrego was retained as New Orleans’ lead assistant in anticipation of a possible head coaching change. Stein noted that the Pelicans denied a request from the Knicks to interview Borrego to become the lead assistant on Mike Brown‘s staff.

Borrego, of course, has plenty of head coaching experience. He was Orlando’s interim coach in 2014/15, then had a four-year stint as Charlotte’s head coach from 2018-22. He has compiled a 148-183 record during his head coaching career.

Injury Notes: Edey, Coward, Poole, Dort, Eason, Oubre

Second-year center Zach Edey could make his season debut on Saturday. He has been listed as questionable for the matchup in Cleveland, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).

As Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes, the Grizzlies are reeling, with seven losses in their past eight games and a 4-9 record on the season. The team is looking forward to having the former Purdue star back in the middle.

He brings a lot,” head coach Tuomas Iisalo said of Edey. “He’s a tremendous finisher around the rim, and he also has a gravitational pull that forces defenders to have to help.”

Edey has been steadily ramping up his activity after undergoing ankle surgery in June, which prevented him from participating in training camp and the preseason. Iisalo cautioned that there will be an adjustment period for the 7’4″ big man once he returns, Wallace adds.

He’s a tremendous rebounder on both ends, which is a huge benefit,” Iisalo assessed. “He’s a high-level rim protector, and having both him and Jaren (Jackson Jr.) as our twin towers out there worked really well for us last year. He’s also a second-year player who had an operation five months ago. So, it will be a gradual process to bring him along and we just have to stay true to our process.”

After missing Wednesday’s game in Boston due to a right ankle injury, point guard Ja Morant will be active on Saturday, but standout rookie wing Cedric Coward is doubtful to suit up due to right foot soreness, per the team.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

  • While Pelicans guard Jordan Poole is making “good progress” in his recovery from a mild left quad strain, he’ll miss at least one more week, which is the next time he’ll be reexamined, the team today announced in a press release (Twitter link). Poole is in his first season with New Orleans, having been acquired in an offseason trade with Washington.
  • Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, who has missed the past five games with a right upper trap strain, has been upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s game at Charlotte, tweets Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. The 26-year-old forward could hit free agency next summer, depending on what the Thunder do with Dort’s $18.2MM team option for 2026/27. The Montreal native was named to the All-Defensive First Team in 2024/25.
  • Impending restricted free agent Tari Eason suffered a right hip contusion in Friday’s matchup against Portland and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, according to the Rockets (Twitter link via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). Eason, a 24-year-old forward, entered Friday’s game averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds on .517/.531/.714 shooting (24.5 minutes per contest).
  • Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason, exited Friday’s loss in Detroit with a hyperextended left knee and did not return, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays (via Twitter). After a 4-0 start, the 76ers have cooled off of late, dropping five of their past eight games.

Pelicans Owner: Decision On Green Is Dumars’ To Make

Amid rumors that the Pelicans are having “serious” internal discussions about head coach Willie Green‘s future, team owner Gayle Benson tells Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com (subscription required) that any decision on Green’s job status will be made by executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars, not by her.

There was speculation when Dumars replaced David Griffin as the Pelicans’ head of basketball operations in the spring that he’d bring in a new head coach after Green led the team to a 21-61 record last season. That didn’t happen, but now that New Orleans is off to a 2-9 start this fall, those rumors have resurfaced and intensified, with some reports suggesting that Benson’s fondness for Green is the reason why he still has his job.

Speaking to Duncan, Benson insisted that’s not the case.

“I really like Willie Green, but I hired Joe Dumars to assess our basketball operation. And that’s what he is doing. He is assessing Willie and all the players,” Benson said. “He and I spent the entire halftime (of Wednesday’s game) talking. When he makes a decision, that’s up to him. That’s why I hired him.

“I trust Joe, because I feel like he knows people. He’s known Willie since he was a child, so they know each other. And if he can fix that problem, then he’ll fix it. If he can’t, then that’ll be his decision, not mine. I’ve left that in his hands.”

Injuries have limited the Pelicans’ ceiling in recent years, particularly since the start of the 2024/25 season. Star forward Zion Williamson has played in just 35 of 93 games during that time, and virtually every other starter or rotation player has missed time for health reasons too, including projected long-term cornerstones Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones.

Still, even when the Pelicans have had most of their top players available, the results haven’t been great. As William Guillory of The Athletic recently observed, the team has a net rating of -11.3 during the 75 minutes in which Williamson, Murphy, and Jones have played together this season.

Benson talked to Duncan for about a half-hour in total, speaking at length about the poor starts this fall by the Pelicans and her other team, the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. Benson sought to make it clear during that interview that neither franchise is on the market.

“The teams are not for sale. That’s in capital letters. I want everybody to know the teams are not for sale,” Benson said. “I get tired of people asking me (if they’re for sale). I’m going to turn 79 in January, but I’m pretty healthy. I hear that people want to talk to me about buying the team. I’m like, well, that’s a waste of my time. That’s not going to happen. And people need to calm down about the team moving.”

Benson wanted to make one last point at the end of her conversation with Duncan.

“I just want everyone to know that I’m doing everything that I can, other than throwing the ball and catching it and getting the ball in the hoop,” she said. “I can’t do any more than I’m doing. I’m giving (the teams) the money. I’ve done everything I can to help these guys. After every game, win or lose, both teams, I’m in that locker room. When they come in from the field or off the court, I’m hugging every one of them, win or lose. I can’t do any more than let them know I’m supporting them. I don’t know what else I can do.”

Pacers Reportedly Eyeing Jose Alvarado

With Tyrese Haliburton out for the season due to a torn Achilles tendon, the Pacers have been on the lookout for help at point guard, having cycled through multiple veterans during the preseason and later cutting James Wiseman to add Mac McClung. McClung was subsequently replaced by Monte Morris, whom the team initially intended to bring in for camp before discovering he had a calf injury that has since healed.

Head coach Rick Carlisle said McClung was the most impressive participant in a three-player free agent workout on October 27, which is why the Pacers signed him. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), the other two participants in that session were Morris and Cody Martin, whose 10-day hardship contract with Indiana expires on Friday.

Martin, who missed Thursday’s game in Phoenix due to an illness (Twitter link via the team), is unlikely to return to the Pacers unless they’re granted another hardship exception, Fischer writes.

In addition to keeping close tabs on free agents, Indiana has also been monitoring the trade market for backcourt help. Sources tell Fischer that Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado is of particular interest to the Pacers.

Alvarado, 27, went undrafted in 2021 after a standout college career at Georgia Tech. The 27-year-old is making $4.5MM this season and holds a player option for 2026/27 worth the same amount.

Through 10 games this season, Alvarado is averaging 6.7 points, 2.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 18.9 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .423/.429/.800.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Morant, Zion, Mavs, Sheppard

The Grizzlies lost for the seventh time in eight games on Wednesday, suffering a 36-point blowout defeat at the hands of the Celtics. Memphis made just 33.7% of its shots from the floor while allowing Boston to convert at a 50.5% clip. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo acknowledged after the game that the discrepancy in field goal percentage was a reason for the loss, but he was unhappy with his team’s overall effort, according to Jay King of The Athletic.

“I would say this: One way to lose is not to make shots,” Iisalo said. “Today we struggled a lot, even with open three-pointers. We couldn’t convert underneath the basket. At the same time, their shot-making was at a relatively high level. That’s all good. That’s part of basketball. It happens sometimes. The fact that today the Celtics were the things that we aspire to be — faster than the other team, harder working, better organized — that’s a tough pill to swallow as a coach, and I think it should be for all of our guys.

“… You can lose games,” Iisalo added. “That’s part of basketball. But to go away from your identity or the things that we know produce wins, that’s something that we must correct right away.”

The Grizzlies, who are still playing without big men Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke, were also extremely shorthanded in the backcourt on Wednesday. With ball-handlers Ja Morant, Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Javon Small all unavailable, Vince Williams Jr. earned the start at point guard. Still, Iisalo didn’t want to use those injuries as an excuse for his team’s performance.

“We got bullied on the boards,” the Grizzlies’ coach said. “I think we gave up almost 40 second-chance points against a team that’s not particularly big or bigger than us. Transition game, that’s one thing, but in the half court we were late for several actions, unable to communicate or arrive with the ball. Basic things. It started out early, obviously, with two early timeouts. And we then had stretches, but nothing consistent.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Although there has been some tension between them in recent weeks, Iisalo said that it has been “great” coaching Morant since he joined the Grizzlies last season, according to King. “We have had a lot of dialogue,” Iisalo said. “We see the game in very similar ways. He’s a very intelligent player. He sees things on video; you don’t even have to point it out, he already knows what could have been an option there. And overall it’s just been a pleasure.”
  • Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been cleared to resume full-contact, on-court basketball activities, the team announced today (via Twitter). Williamson has been sidelined since November 2 due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, but today’s update suggests he’s making progress toward a return.
  • In the wake of Nico Harrison‘s ouster in Dallas, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports contends that it’s time for the Mavericks to blow up their roster and make virtually all of their veterans available for trade. As O’Connor outlines, Cooper Flagg is the kind of prospect a team can build around, and the Mavs could be in position to add another top prospect in a strong 2026 draft. O’Connor also proposes eight hypothetical Anthony Davis trades, suggesting that Atlanta and Detroit are among the teams that look like potential fits.
  • Rockets guard Reed Sheppard, who has taken on more responsibilities this season following Fred VanVleet‘s torn ACL, has had his three best performances of the fall within the past week, averaging 17.7 points in 26.7 minutes per game on .645/.619/.855 shooting during that stretch, as Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle writes (subscription required). “That’s the Reed we like to see,” teammate Kevin Durant said on Wednesday after Sheppard scored a season-high 21 points in a win over Washington. “I think these last three games, he’s just playing freely and not thinking too much, playing under control and knocking down shots. It’s a make-or-miss league, so if you continue to work on your game and become efficient, then the rest of the game is pretty easy for you.”

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Okogie, Kornet, Mavs

The Pelicans‘ first 10 games of the 2025/26 season have gone about as poorly as they could have, according to William Guillory of The Athletic, with star forward Zion Williamson sidelined due to another hamstring injury and Willie Green‘s hold on his head coaching job looking tenuous.

As Guillory writes, even when the 2-8 Pelicans have been relatively healthy, things haven’t gone according to plan — the trio of Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herbert Jones has a net rating of -11.3 during their 75 minutes on the court together.

Lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen have been two of the only reasons for optimism in New Orleans so far, Guillory continues. Fears has shown off his ball-handling skills and his ability to make things happen in open-court situations while improving as a decision-maker in pick-and-roll scenarios. Queen, meanwhile, has acted at times as the team’s offensive hub and has scored double-digit points in each of his last four games despite playing a relatively modest role (23.5 MPG).

Guillory also singles out offseason trade addition Saddiq Bey as a bright spot for the Pelicans in the early going, observing that the veteran forward has played better in his return from an ACL tear than Jordan Poole has through three weeks. The duo was acquired from Washington in a summer deal that sent out CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk.

Things won’t get any easier for the Pelicans in the near future, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com, who writes that the team is about to begin a five-game home stand against Western Conference opponents that includes matchups with the Lakers, Warriors, Thunder, and Nuggets.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • In an offseason that saw the Rockets acquire players like Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela, minimum-salary free agent addition Josh Okogie flew under the radar. However, he has emerged as a valuable part of the team’s rotation, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Okogie has started seven of nine games and Houston is 6-1 in those starts. “He has the same DNA as the guys that we brought in initially and (does) some of what Dillon (Brooks) did, and Dorian, Jae’Sean (Tate), those guys,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “His defensive versatility, offensive rebounding, being able to knock down those shots, it’s what we need at that position. Takes the pressure off Amen (Thompson), and so he’s a guy you can kind of plug in with all these different lineups, and adds more to our depth than just versatility on defense.”
  • After missing seven games due to ankle and shoulder injuries, Spurs center Luke Kornet had a big game in his return on Monday, scoring 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds in a win over Chicago. The Kornet/Victor Wembanyama pairing playfully known as “French Vanilla” came up big down the stretch and now has a +23.0 net rating in three games together, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) details. “It’s good to have him back,” Wembanyama said. “There are not a lot of shot-blockers like him in the league. It’s always good to play with Luke.”
  • Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) considers what’s next in Dallas following the dismissal of general manager Nico Harrison, suggesting that trades involving Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving could take some time to materialize even if the Mavericks are open to moving them. Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) also examines the challenges facing new co-interim GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, who take over a team that lacks draft assets and features several underachieving veterans.

Cade Cunningham, Nikola Jokic Named Players Of Week

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, while Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been chosen as the Western Conference Player of the Week, according to the NBA (Twitter links).

Cunningham led Detroit to four consecutive wins during the week of November 3-9 while averaging 31.0 points and 9.8 assists per game on 54.7% shooting. This marks the second time in his career that Cunningham has received a Player of the Week award.

Jokic also led his team to a 4-0 week, with home victories over Sacramento, Miami, Golden State, and Indiana. The three-time MVP averaged a triple-double, with 31.3 points, 13.3 assists, and 11.3 rebounds per contest. His biggest game of the week came last Wednesday against the Heat, when he racked up 33 points, 16 assists, 15 rebounds, and three steals.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Norman Powell (Heat) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.

Devin Booker (Suns), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Trey Murphy III (Pelicans), Julius Randle (Timberwolves) and Alperen Sengun (Rockets) were also nominated in the West.

Pelicans Notes: H. Jones, Queen, Murphy

Former second-round pick Herbert Jones signed a three-year, $68MM extension with the Pelicans over the summer. The 27-year-old forward is now under contract through 2029/30, including a player option for the final season.

In an interview with Grant Afseth of RG.org, Jones says he’s worked to become a more vocal leader for New Orleans, particularly on offense.

I think most of my growth has come through just being more vocal and telling guys what I see — not necessarily scoring more points, but coming from a defensive-minded guy, telling guys what I see on the offensive end that we might be able to capitalize on,” Jones said. “If the defense is doing something, I can see it and try to give our guys something to beat it.”

Through nine games (30.1 minutes per contest) this season, the 2023/24 All-Defensive member is averaging 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals on .449/.450/.667 shooting. Jones tells Afseth he’s very high on the team’s group of rookies, which is headlined by lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.

Their competitive nature,” Jones said with a smile. “There’s never a day that goes by that we don’t compete. Whenever we do, those guys show up and don’t back down from anything. You gotta love that.”

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

  • Speaking of Queen, the ex-Maryland big man has put together an impressive string of games lately, as Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. During Tuesday’s victory over Charlotte — the Pelicans’ first win of the season — Queen notched 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in the fourth quarter, the first player to record such a stat line in any quarter since the NBA started play-by-play tracking in 1996/97. The 20-year-old also impressed Spurs legend Tim Duncan during Saturday’s loss at San Antonio, Walker adds. During the game, which Duncan attended, the five-time champion sent a text message to Pelicans analyst (and Duncan’s former teammate) Antonio Daniels that read, “I really like that Queen guy.”
  • After a slow start to the season, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III had a huge night on Saturday against the Spurs, Walker notes. Murphy, who is in the first season of a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension, tied a career-high by scoring 41 points (on 15-of-22 shooting) while also contributing nine rebounds and three assists in the defeat. “It was great and we needed it from him,” head coach Willie Green said. “He scored on every level tonight. He got to the free throw line. He got to the paint. He shot the ball well. He rebounded the ball well, something that we’ve been talking about. We can see him starting to implement it.”
  • In case you missed it, you can find all the latest updates on New Orleans — including Jordan Poole‘s quad injury and Zion Williamson‘s reported trade value (or lack thereof) — on our Pelicans team page.