New Orleans Pelicans: News, Scores, Stats, Headlines, Injury Updates & More

Toronto Raptors v Cleveland Cavaliers - Game Seven

2026-27 Fantasy Basketball: Collin Murray-Boyles, Derik Queen among sophomore stars

Which second-year NBA players will be the best options for fantasy managers?

Zak Hanshew,

Zak Hanshew,

Los Angeles Clippers v New Orleans Pelicans

Saddiq Bey, New Orleans agree to three-year, $55.5 million contract extension

Kurt Helin,

Kurt Helin,

Elfrid Payton signs camp contract with Sacramento, has chance to make roster

Kurt Helin,

Kurt Helin,

Pelicans reportedly trading Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy to Grizzlies for AJ Johnson, Taj Gibson

Kurt Helin,

Kurt Helin,

NBA: Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento Kings

Bennedict Mathurin, Pelicans reportedly agree to two-year, $16 million contract

Kurt Helin,

Kurt Helin,

NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Philadelphia 76ers

Trendon Watford signs one-year minimum deal to join New Orleans

Kurt Helin,

Kurt Helin,

NBA: Finals-New York Knicks at San Antonio Spurs

Fantasy takeaways from 2026-27 NBA regular-season schedule release

Raphielle Johnson,

Raphielle Johnson,

Rotoworld Player News

Jeremiah Fears

NOP Guard #0

Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players

Jeremiah Fears tallied 11 points (4-of-8 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), two rebounds, two assists and two three-pointers in Thursday’s exhibition against the Heat.

With Dejounte Murray sitting out Thursday’s game, Fears moved into the starting lineup in Miami. The second-year guard logged 19 minutes, finishing with one more turnover (three) than assists. Playing time shouldn’t be an issue for Fears this season, but a healthy Murray lowers his fantasy ceiling considerably. At best, Fears is a late-round flier in redraft leagues.
Jordan Poole

NOP Guard #3

Jordan Poole recorded 14 points (4-of-5 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), one rebound, two assists and three three-pointers in Thursday’s exhibition against the Heat.

Poole appeared in only 39 games last season, and his chances of earning consistent rotation minutes in 2026-27 don’t look good. That said, he shot the ball well in Miami, knocking down three of his four three-point attempts. You gain little by using a draft pick on Poole in most fantasy leagues, but he has a clean slate under new head coach Jamahl Mosley.
Derik Queen

NOP Center #22

Derik Queen amassed five points (2-of-3 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), eight rebounds, one assist and one block in Thursday’s exhibition against the Heat.

As of Thursday evening, Queen had a Yahoo! ADP of 85. That’s pretty high, especially for a player who isn’t guaranteed a starting role once the regular season begins. Yves Missi (11 points, nine rebounds), a superior defender, started at center in New Orleans’ two preseason games. First-year head coach Jamahl Mosley could very well go with Queen once the games count, but he’ll have to do more as a defender to make that happen. Given the uncertainty, using a top-100 pick on Queen is risky.
Julian Reese

NOP Forward

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports Julian Reese is signing a two-way contract with the Pelicans.

Reese was productive last year for the Wizards after going undrafted, but he was traded to Denver, who waived him immediately after, in August to help facilitate that Peyton Watson trade. Reese will now get a chance in New Orleans, though he likely won’t see the minutes he saw late last season in Washington.
Saddiq Bey

NOP Guard-Forward #41

ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that the Pelicans and Saddiq Bey agreed to a three-year extension worth $55.5 million.

After missing the entire 2024-25 season recovering from a torn ACL, Bey had the most productive season of his NBA career to date. Starting 64 of the 72 games he played, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.1 three-pointers while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 84.1 percent from the foul line. Injuries to other wings freed up additional opportunities for Bey last season, but the contract extension shows he has clearly locked down a key role.
Taj Gibson

NOP Forward #67

Pelicans waived Taj Gibson.

Acquired from the Grizzlies on Tuesday, Gibson appeared in 10 games last season after joining the team in late February. His contract for the 2026-27 season was not guaranteed, so New Orleans unsurprisingly prioritized salary cap flexibility. Once he clears waivers, the 41-year-old Gibson will be an unrestricted free agent.
Taj Gibson

NOP Forward #67

The Pelicans acquired Taj Gibson and AJ Johnson from the Grizzlies in exchange for Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, a future second-round pick and a second-round pick swap.

Tuesday’s reported trade was all about the Pelicans freeing up cap space, allowing the team to make Bennedict Mathurin’s signing official. Gibson, who was not on an NBA team at the start of last season, agreed to a deal with the Grizzlies in late February and appeared in 10 games. While a positive voice within the locker room, Gibson has not been a factor in fantasy basketball for quite some time. It’s also unknown whether he’ll be on the Pelicans’ roster when the season begins.
AJ Johnson

NOP Guard #8

The Pelicans acquired AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson from the Grizzlies in exchange for Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, a future second-round pick and a second-round pick swap.

Selected 23rd overall in the 2024 draft, Johnson has bounced around in his two NBA seasons. After splitting his rookie campaign between Milwaukee and Washington, he appeared in 48 games for the Wizards and Mavericks in 2025-26, averaging 3.3 points in 9.5 minutes. This is the second time this offseason that Johnson has been traded, with the Mavericks sending him to Memphis as part of a deal headlined by Santi Aldama. New Orleans likely executed Tuesday’s reported transaction to free up the space needed to make Bennedict Mathurin’s signing official. As a result, fantasy managers should not expect Johnson to become a factor next season.
Bennedict Mathurin

NOP Guard-Forward #9

ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Bennedict Mathurin has signed a two-year, $16.6 million deal to join the Pelicans.

According to Shams, the Pels asked the Clippers to withdraw their qualifying offer on the restricted free agent so that they could get the deal done. Mathurin’s deal includes a player option that will give him the chance to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent next summer. He should play a significant role for New Orleans, though the competition for minutes will be fiercer than it was in LA.
Bennedict Mathurin

LAC Guard-Forward #9

NBA insider Jake Fischer reports that the Pelicans remain the one “aggressive suitor” for restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin.

Like Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Mathurin’s status as a restricted free agent has made the task of landing a contract a challenging one. Few teams have the cap space to make the former lottery pick an attractive offer, and the Clippers also have to factor in the Kawhi Leonard trade, which the Raptors paused while the NBA investigates his contract. According to Fischer, the Pelicans remain interested in adding Mathurin via sign-and-trade. However, with more players becoming trade-eligible in September, that may have to wait. Another option for Mathurin is to accept the Clippers’ qualifying offer, which would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer.