3 Pelicans Storylines to Watch After the All-Star Break

How the New Orleans Pelicans play down the stretch will be a huge factor in their offseason decision-making.

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans have 26 more games to play after the All-Star break. They are not going anywhere and will likely finish with one of the worst records in the league. Yet, there are still plenty of intriguing storylines to watch in the final two months of the season. These will play a big part in the Pelicans' offseason and future.

How Much Will Jordan Poole Play?

Jordan Poole has been a healthy scratch for the Pelicans' last nine games before the break. His minutes had been gradually declining before then as he struggled with his shot all season. Making only 37% of his field goal attempts, Poole has been one of the least efficient players in the league. Add the fact that he turns the ball over 1.9 times per game in only 25.4 minutes of action while being one of the worst perimeter defenders in the league, and the decision to bench Poole becomes understandable.

There are almost no basketball reasons to bring Poole back into the rotation. But the Pelicans owe him $34 million next season, so they may want to give him another chance to see if he can revive some of his trade value. Finding the right balance between giving Poole a chance at rehabilitating his trade value without inhibiting the development of the young Pelicans will be difficult for James Borrego.

Can Dejounte Murray Make an Impact Upon His Return?

Murray has yet to make his season debut. As he recovers from a ruptured Achilles he suffered in January 2025, Murray has signaled a return in February. He was a limited participant in practice before the All-Star break, but remains without a timetable.

The 29-year-old guard is not going to change the fate of the Pelicans' season, but he can help himself and the team by showcasing his value. If he proves that he is healthy and ready to contribute, he could increase his trade value before the offseason. That way, he can get himself to greener pastures while saving the Pelicans from having to pay him $32.7 million next season.

Jeremiah Fears & Derik Queen's Role Down the Stretch

Unlike most teams at the bottom of the standings, the New Orleans Pelicans will continue to try to win games in the final two months of the season. Everyone else will be attempting to maximize their draft lottery odds, while the Pels, who don't have their own pick this season, may try to be as competitive as possible to avoid giving the Atlanta Hawks a top pick.

Finding the right balance between being competitive and developing Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen will be fascinating. Fears lost his starting spot and is averaging less than 24 minutes per game in the new year. Queen has seen a similar but smaller reduction in his playing time. A more important change for him was the usage rate. After playing a big offensive role early in the season (24.3% usage rate in December), Queen is less involved in recent weeks. In the last five games before the break, the talented rookie only had a 16.6% usage rate.

The Pelicans' future belongs to Fears and Queen. Even if James Borrego thinks veterans give the Pels a better chance to win, giving them a bigger role at the expense of their young, up-and-coming stars makes little sense.