Pelicans Front Office's Reported Trade Deadline Approach Should Terrify Fans

Joe Dumars & Co. are not instilling any confidence in the New Orleans Pelicans' fanbase ahead of the February 5 trade deadline.

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The New Orleans Pelicans are 8-31 and are nowhere near where they thought they would be at this point in the season. Yet, it seems like the front office is in no rush to make sweeping changes.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on Friday that the Pelicans are letting teams know that Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, Derik Queen, and Jeremiah Fears are not available at the February 5 trade deadline. This approach adds to the Joe Dumars regime's series of questionable moves since taking over and paints a bleak picture for what the future holds in New Orleans.

Sources: New Orleans Pelicans are disappointing the market in informing teams that Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears will remain with the organization past Feb. 5 trade deadline.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 9, 2026

Pelicans Are Reportedly Standing Pat at the Trade Deadline

Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears are indispensable. The future of the organization belongs to them. Keeping Trey Murphy makes some sense as well. He is only 25 years old, takes a step forward every year, plays a premium position, has a team-friendly deal, and fits perfectly around Fears and Queen.

The decision not to make Williamson or Jones available, on the other hand, is unforgivable.

The Pelicans need more draft capital and future assets. They don't have their 2026 first-round pick and don't have a second-round pick until 2030. Jones can bring back at least one first-rounder with upside, potentially more. Williamson is currently healthy and playing well, creating an opportunity as good as any to move on from him. Everyone in their right mind knows that the Zion Williamson era in New Orleans is over, and the sooner the front office realizes that, the quicker they can start building around the new young core.

The front office would likely blame the injuries for the struggles of the team this season. Reading what has been happening on the court this season from that perspective is a big mistake.

Even when Jones, Murphy, and Williamson have been on the court together, the Pelicans have not been good. Per Cleaning the Glass, in the 331 possessions those trio shared the court, New Orleans has a -1.1 net rating, which is in line with a 38-win team for the season. So, the Pelicans are standing pat to keep a team whose healthiest-case scenario is 38 wins.

If your team's healthiest scenario produces 38 wins and your best player is Zion Williamson, who has played over half of the games in a season only twice in his career, one has to question what the long-term vision of the franchise is.

The Pelicans are 29-92 over the last season and a half. In the games Williamson played, they are 15-38. Despite all the evidence that this team, as it's currently constructed, is not going anywhere, the front office is insisting on keeping the core together, a decision that will have a lasting impact for years to come.