Pelicans' 2 Top Head Coaching Candidates to Replace Borrego Miss the Mark

The New Orleans Pelicans are entering the offseason with several big questions. The most important of them all: Who is going to be the team's head coach next season and beyond?

James Borrego has had the job with an interim tag since Willie Green was fired in November. Borrego's track record in New Orleans so far has been a mixed bag. While there have been improvements in the process, especially on the offensive end, the results haven't been there. The Pelicans' top brass is seemingly not convinced that Borrego has done enough to secure the job going forward. They are reportedly keeping their options open, but Pelicans fans will not like who the prime candidates to replace him are.

Pelicans insider Shamit Dua reported on Monday that if Borrego isn't the head coach next season, "the two names constantly tied with them have been [Jamahl] Mosley and [Darvin] Ham," adding that he has not heard credible reports of other possibilities.

For the Pelicans, Malone was never an option. If it's not Borrego, the two names constantly tied with them have been Mosely or Ham. I have not heard credible reports of any others. Now Mosely or Ham have to want to come to New Orleans and there's many jobs that are about to open https://t.co/s4Mp5Fuwnf
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) April 6, 2026

Jamahl Mosley & Darvin Ham Aren't Upgrades Over James Borrego

While it's important to note that it's still very early in the process since the season isn't over, this is exactly how one would expect the Pelicans organization to conduct a head coaching search. They lack transparency and aren't too interested in conducting a thorough search, as demonstrated by the way they hired Joe Dumars last year. If it's not a name that Dumars and the ownership have a relationship with and are aligned on, it's hard to imagine the Pelicans will seriously pursue that coach.

If Ham and Mosley are indeed the only external options, one has to wonder whether they would be upgrades over Borrego at all.

Ham's Lakers tenure was unfairly criticized as he made a Conference Finals with a flawed team, but he quickly wore out his welcome there after two seasons. Since then, he has been an assistant to Doc Rivers in Milwaukee for one of the most underwhelming teams in the league.

Mosley, on the other hand, did a good job bringing the Orlando Magic to respectability thanks to discipline and defense. He has failed to get them to take the next step, however, as the Magic have performed well below expectations all season. The defense took a step back this season, the offense remains highly uncreative, and there have been rumblings about tensions between him and Paolo Banchero.

Ham and Mosley are known as defense-first, disciplinarian head coaches. The Pelicans may be prioritizing instilling that identity in their young team. At the same time, neither coach is an established difference-maker in the NBA. If the name to replace Borrego isn't going to be a clear upgrade, why not just give Borrego a chance?

It's not like Borrego has done a bad job as the interim head coach. In fact, he has likely done a better job with what he has than Mosley in Orlando this season. Instead of taking a gamble on a new head coach, the Pelicans would almost certainly be better off giving Borrego a chance to install his dynamic, fast-paced offense that has shown a lot of promise this season.