2025 New Orleans Pelicans Preseason Preview

The 2023-24 New Orleans Pelicans finished with a record of 49 wins and 33 loses. The Pelicans advanced out of the play in tournament, but lost Zion Williamson to injury during the process and subsequently got swept in the first round - a disappointing end to the injury-prone Williamson’s most healthy season of his career, where he player 70 games.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The 2024-25 season is starting in similar fashion for the Pelican’s as Williamson is listed as questionable, with an illness instead of an injury. Also listed as questionable for New Orleans is Jose Alvarado and offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray. Murray joins the Pelicans after two year in Atlanta where he averaged 21.5/6.3/5.3.

The Pelicans look to be a well balanced offense with Murray joining Zion, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum and New Orleans boasts 4 players who averaged more than 20 points per game. What might be missing for them is an additional scorer off what has proven to be a fairly defensive focused bench, and head coach Willie Green may look to stagger his starters minutes to ensure they are never without offensive firepower - especially as the Pels await the return of 4th year small forward Trey Murphy III who will miss the beginning of the season who a hamstring injury.

Murphy signed a 4 year contract extension recently, which brings into question New Orleans long term plans with Brandon Ingram. Ingram will make 36 million dollars this year and New Orleans could look to move him this season or in a sign and trade as they likely would prefer to not lose that cap slot; so fans watching trade rumors should prepare to hear a lot about Ingram this season.