Jordan Hawkins' Pelicans Tenure Should Come to an End at Trade Deadline

The Pelicans shooting guard has fallen out of favor and is reaching the end of his time in New Orleans.

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The New Orleans Pelicans have recently discovered a new formula for success. Head coach James Borrego has been deploying guard-less lineups, starting Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Saddiq Bey, Zion Williamson, and Derik Queen. These supersized units have helped the Pelicans play the best basketball of their season and win three of their last four games. They have also rendered some of the backcourt players on the roster completely expendable.

In addition to Jordan Poole, who is now entirely out of the rotation, Jordan Hawkins has received five straight DNP-Coach's Decisions. The third-year shooting guard has fallen behind in the pecking order, and considering how well the team is playing without him, it's hard to imagine Hawkins finding his way back into the rotation. He hasn't played since January 18, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon.

Since he was a 14th-overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Hawkins hasn't been able to establish himself as an NBA player despite having ample opportunities with the Pelicans. When New Orleans completely pulled the plug on their season last year, Hawkins started nine games and played an average of 23.6 minutes per game in 56 appearances. Despite a high 21.0% usage rate, he was highly inefficient, finishing the season with a 50.4% True Shooting and 33.1% from downtown.

In his third season, things aren't much better for Hawkins. Shooting 34.2% from two and 30.1% from three, Hawkins is one of the least efficient players in the NBA. Plus, he almost never goes to the free-throw line (0.5 attempts per game), making it difficult for him to put points on the board.

Jordan Hawkins Will Find It Hard to Crack the Pelicans' Rotation Again

For a player whose calling card was shooting and scoring when he first came into the league, this is extremely disappointing. It's not like Hawkins adds much value on defense or other aspects of the game. He lacks strength and physicality and doesn't have the ball-handling and playmaking ability to be an on-ball player. He needs to be an off-ball threat, but with his shot not falling at all, it's hard to justify giving him rotation minutes.

Perhaps, Hawkins needs a fresh start. He will almost certainly not reach his potential in New Orleans.
The Pelicans had picked up Hawkins' fourth-year option before the season. He will make $7 million next season, meaning that the Pelicans will not get much in return in a trade for the former UConn standout. Including him as part of a larger trade or a salary dump may be the only way to move on from Hawkins, but it's safe to say that his time in New Orleans is coming to an end.