Pelicans' Yves Missi May Be the Odd Man Out Before Trade Deadline

The second-year center has recently fallen out of the rotation and could be moved by the trade deadline.

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The New Orleans Pelicans are riding high on a four-game winning streak after their recent 128-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Despite the win streak, New Orleans is just 7-22 on the year and near the bottom of the Western Conference. The team is naturally talked about among NBA circles as a potential major seller at the upcoming trade deadline.

Most of the names pitched in a potential deal include Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Poole, to name a few. One name that may now be added to the list is second-year center Yves Missi. The former first-round pick has fallen out of the rotation recently and may no longer fit in the team’s long-term plans.

Yves Missi Has Fallen Out of the Rotation and Could Be a Trade Candidate

Since returning from an ankle injury on December 6th, Missi has not played more than 18 minutes in a game, including playing only mop-up duty in Saturday’s win. In the previous five games before his injury, the Cameroon-born center didn’t play less than 20 minutes in any of those contests. His fall out of the rotation is one of many moves interim head coach James Borrego has made to try to turn the ship around in New Orleans.

Borrego has moved both Williamson and Poole to the bench in favor of starting rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. The lineup featuring Queen, Fears, Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, and Trey Murphy III has a +8.9 net rating over the last few games. Borrego has gone with Williamson and Karlo Matkovic off the bench, leaving little to no minutes for Missi. The team also signed veteran Kevon Looney to a two-year deal in the offseason.

New Orleans drafted Missi with the 21st overall pick in last year’s draft. Missi didn’t start playing basketball until his mid-teens, but was a bright spot at times in his rookie season. He made the NBA All-Rookie Second Team a season ago, averaging 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. The stellar play of Queen and the emergence of Matkovic as a better offensive threat leave Missi as the odd man out in New Orleans.

The Pelicans exercised their 2026–27 team option on Missi, ensuring they have control over his contract for the next two years. His athleticism and rim protection could be intriguing for a contender not looking to break the bank for some defensive help. Borrego is an offensive-focused coach, and Missi hasn’t developed enough on that side of the court to warrant significant minutes currently.

New Orleans could get multiple second-round picks or potentially a first-round pick for Missi. Reloading the asset chest is a must for the Pelicans, who will send their first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks next year and don’t own a second-round pick until 2030. With the trade deadline set for February 5, Missi is a name to watch.