3 Things the Pelicans Must Accomplish After All-Star Break

This season may be a trainwreck, but the New Orleans Pelicans can use the last two months to give fans some hope.

Dec 26, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (22) celebrates a basket with guard Jeremiah Fears (0) during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans lost 123-111 to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, leaving a sour taste in the team’s mouth heading into the All-Star break. New Orleans is 15-41 on the season and is near the bottom of the Western Conference for the second straight year. With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror and the roster already set, the Pelicans should have a specific agenda for the remainder of the year.

New Orleans only made one roster change during the trade deadline. They shipped off beloved teammate Jose Alvarado to the New York Knicks in exchange for guard Dalen Terry and two future second-round picks. The Pelicans have waived Terry to free up a roster space for Bryce McGowens, who was formerly on a two-way contract. Now the Pelicans have 26 games left in this forgettable season, but they can still make progress towards next year.

Dejounte Murray’s Return

Former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray has yet to make his season debut after rupturing his Achilles tendon last January. Murray finally practiced with the team for a limited time this past weekend, but the team has yet to set a timetable for his return. New Orleans has a conundrum on its hands when it comes to their backcourt for the future. Guard Jordan Poole has been taken completely out of the rotation and is expected to be on the trade block, but a deal could not be reached at the deadline.

James Borrego on Dejounte Murray returning to practice pic.twitter.com/iwpdhKPLuz

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 9, 2026

The Pelicans know that, financially, keeping Poole and Murray is not feasible in the long term, given they are owed a combined $66 million next season. Allowing Murray to play the remaining 20+ games could boost his trade value in the offseason and allow New Orleans to gain some much-needed future draft capital while offloading a massive contract. Or if the former first-round pick proves healthy and shows he can be a core piece of the team, the Pelicans could move just Poole during the summer.

Commit to the Youth Movement

One of the few positives that has come from this season is the play of their rookies, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. Both players have flashed major potential in the first part of the year, with each setting records along the way. Fears became the youngest point guard in NBA history to reach ten career 20-point games. Meanwhile, Queen leads all rookies in double-doubles (10), field goal percentage (49%), and rebounds (7.3) per game.  

Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen were honored before tonight’s game. They’ll be playing in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend.@FOX8NOLA pic.twitter.com/9Y0xJOsxqz

— Madeline Adams (@MadelineAdamsTV) February 12, 2026

The rookie duo will participate in the Rising Stars challenge at All-Star weekend and should be a main priority for the Pelicans in the latter half of the season. Yes, Murray is expected to return, but that should not come at the expense of Fears’ minutes or growth. Both players are clearly the future in New Orleans, and, along with Yves Missi, the Pelicans must lay the foundation for a solid, cohesive roster.

Defensive Accountability for Zion

A positive for the former two-time All-Star has been his health in recent months. The former No. 1 overall pick has now played in 31 consecutive games, a feat achieved for the first time in his career. While Williamson should be applauded for his availability this season, there is definite room for improvement for him and the rest of the team. New Orleans is ranked 27th in the league in defensive ranking and opponent eFG%.

The Pelicans' continued issues with defensive rebounding and rim protection have carried on for a few seasons now. While Williamson remains dominant on the offensive end, the next step in his evolution is consistent engagement on defense. An engaged Williamson on that end would improve the team’s output tremendously.

While this season has been another massive disappointment for the franchise, the team must not continue to make bad decisions moving forward. The last two months don’t have to be a total waste, but instead a building block toward a better future.