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The New Orleans Pelicans headed into the 2026 offseason looking for a fresh start.
After back-to-back sub-30-win seasons, New Orleans hired a new head coach and approached the offseason with a couple of goals in mind: find a starting-caliber center and add floor spacing.
The Pelicans have yet to do either so far this summer, leading many to believe the team is content to stand pat headed into next season.
A decision like that doesn't breed confidence in a fanbase that yearns to experience consistent winning for the first time in their history.
The Pelicans have roughly $10 million in cap space, but the only move they've made is re-signing 37-year-old DeAndre Jordan to a one-year deal.
Jordan was an important locker-room presence, but his meaningful impact on the court is gone at this stage of his career.
New Orleans has little to no options in free agency left to upgrade the center position.
Still, there are those on the team who have benefited from the Pelicans' stagnant offseason, and some who will feel the worst effects because of the lack of movement.
Here are the biggest winners and losers of the Pelicans' offseason so far.
Biggest Winner: Yves Missi The former first-round pick was expected to make a big leap from his rookie season to his second year in the league.
Missi was a pleasant surprise, earning NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors, averaging 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in his first year in the league.
The Cameroonian-born center started 67 games in his rookie year, while averaging nearly 27 minutes per contest.
Many expected the 6-foot-11 center to reach even greater heights last season.
Instead, Missi took a significant step back in playing time and production last year.
He started just 14 games last season, with his minutes reduced to less than 20 per game.
With the team not picking up the option to retain Kevon Looney and the veteran Jordan not expected to play significant minutes next season, Missi will be thrust into the spotlight to produce.
The former Baylor standout is the only viable center on the roster, and the Pelicans will lean heavily on him this season, especially defensively.
Biggest Losers: Zion Williamson & Derik Queen One of the Pelicans' biggest conundrums since drafting Williamson in 2019 was trying to find a viable center to play alongside him.
Williamson never developed a consistent outside jumper himself, so ideally, having a stretch center would allow him to operate as close to the basket as possible.
New Orleans never found that perfect match, and last season swung a major deal for frontcourt help.
The team traded an unprotected first-round pick this year to acquire forward Derik Queen from the University of Maryland.
The move left New Orleans without a first-round pick in this year's draft to upgrade the depth at center.
Both Queen and Williamson are undersized frontcourt players who get exploited by bigger centers in the post.
Because the Pelicans didn't address that need, there will be a higher expectation for those two to carry a heavier load in the interior, especially since the vision is for the pair to play extensively together.
New Orleans may still have a chance via trade to snag a serviceable center before the season starts.
The Pelicans would want to move Jordan Poole's large contract or ship off Jordan Hawkins to save some cap space.
Helping Jamahl Mosley this year would include providing him with valuable frontcourt help to improve rebounding and interior defense.
Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver will have to get creative on the trade market; otherwise, it's going to be a very long season in New Orleans.
Terry is a New Orleans sports lover who has covered the Saints and the Pelicans.
Articles have appeared on Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, and FanSided.
He is a credentialed media member for the New Orleans Pelicans and a basketball enthusiast since birth.
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