New Orleans

Pelicans

Looney’s first season away from Golden State was one of the least productive of his career. The veteran forward appeared in just 21 games, averaging 2.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 14.6 minutes per game. His on-court impact was minimal for a struggling Pelicans team, and his fantasy basketball impact was even less. He is not expected to have value in fantasy leagues next season.

With the addition of Derik Queen to the Pelicans’ roster, Matković’s opportunities to contribute decreased last season. Appearing in 62 games, he averaged 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 14.7 minutes. Matković’s role is unlikely to change much next season with Queen and Yves Missi also on the roster.

Pierre, who played his first college basketball season in 2020-21 at Southern Miss, turns 24 next month. He played his final season at SMU, averaging 17.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.4 three-pointers per game in 2025-26, shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 75.8 percent from the foul line. Pierre is a capable scorer on all three levels, but he turns 24 in mid-July. Pierre is a New Orleans native and will return to play for his hometown team, though they already have plenty of depth in the backcourt.

It’s unclear which teams might be interested in trading for Murphy, who turned 26 earlier this month. The Celtics could make sense as a suitor given that the team is going to listen to offers for Jaylen Brown. However, with reports of the Pelicans targeting someone in the lottery of Tuesday’s NBA Draft, New Orleans could move Murphy or Herb Jones in a trade for a draft pick tonight. The Hawks, who have the eighth pick, and Warriors, who have the 11th pick, could be potential suitors for a Murphy trade.

Mosley, who was fired by the Magic shortly after their ouster from the NBA Playoffs, was not unemployed for long, as the Pelicans decided to bring him on board. One of his tasks in New Orleans will be to help Williamson tap into his full potential. “He hasn’t even scratched the surface of things he can do,” Mosley told reporters, according to ESPN. “I really do believe that. And I think being able to open the floor up more for him, attacking, being able to play him in different positions, because he’s an excellent basketball player with a high IQ for playmaking, for making guys around him better, knowing when to make plays and the right passes to make.” While he was given some playmaking responsibilities by previous coaches, Zion’s inability to stay healthy limited his overall output. The injury history means Williamson’s fantasy draft outlook won’t be much affected by Mosley’s words. However, the new head coach’s willingness to give Zion more responsibility should bode well for the forward’s immediate future in New Orleans.

It is a five-year deal for Mosley, who was let go by the Magic just two weeks prior to this. He led Orlando for five years, going 189-221 with three playoff appearances. Mosley was able to turn a lottery team into a playoff team by his third season and will look to replicate that culture shift in New Orleans.

Borrego was 24-46 as interim head coach after taking over for Willie Green, who was fired last November. Prior to that, Borrego was the associate head coach under Green and he previously spent four years as the Hornets head coach, going 138-163 with no playoff appearances. While Borrego will be included in the search for a new Pelicans head coach, he seems like a long shot to land the job. He had plenty of time to make an impression this season and the Pelicans were more than 20 games below .500 on his watch.

A 20-point scorer in two of his last three games, Peavy finished Sunday’s defeat with a new season-high in points. The rookie wing shot 50 percent from the field and recorded a complete stat line, taking advantage of the extended minutes. While Peavy’s redraft league value for next season will remain extremely low due to the Pelicans’ wing depth, he’ll be worth taking a flier on in dynasty leagues.

Queen finished his first NBA season with the first 30/20 game of his pro career. With the Pelicans only playing seven players on Sunday, the rookie center logged 41 minutes in the season finale. Queen recorded a complete stat line against the Timberwolves, making the low field-goal percentage more palatable. Queen certainly had his moments this season, but improvement on the defensive end of the floor is what will unlock his full potential in the years to come.

Fears finished his rookie season on a tear, scoring at least 36 points in each of his final three games. The ability to get to the foul line boosted his point total on Sunday, but the overall stat line was one that many fantasy managers will take. With Dejounte Murray back in the fold, Fears’ value in redraft leagues won’t match his dynasty league value next season.