The New Orleans Pelicans have been playing some of their best basketball of late in the 2025-26 season and are currently on a five-game win streak. We’re starting to see interim head coach James Borrego’s impact on this team as the group plays with a higher tempo on offense and prioritizes shiftability on defense.
With this shift, we’re starting to see which players Borrego trusts and which he doesn’t. In the center rotation, it seems that Yves Missi is the odd one out.
Over the team’s last seven games, Missi’s average minutes have dropped from 20.2 per game to just 8.2. It’s also important to note that most of his recent playing time has been in garbage time, and he received a DNP on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks. The fact that he doesn’t see the court at all against the Mavericks is a telling sign of where he sits in Borrego’s rotation, as Dallas relies heavily on his size, making this a matchup that Missi typically thrives in.
The rise of Karlo Matković
One of the main reasons why Missi has been pushed down the depth chart is the resurgence of Karlo Matković. In the Pelicans’ victory over Chicago on December 14, Matković truly established his place in the team’s rotation. After sitting out the first 36 minutes, he came in and played the entire fourth quarter, making game-winning plays and being a determining factor in New Orleans coming out on top.
Since that game, Matković has been the clear backup center behind Derik Queen and has made the most of his opportunities, averaging 4.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and one block in the Pels’ last four games. He’s just much more polished, versatile and talented at this point in his career than Missi, not to mention that Matković is also a better fit for Borregos’ fast attacking style, as he is an athletic absolutely crazy.
Missi’s future in New Orleans
After a really successful rookie season that saw Missi earn second-team All-rookie honors, the future for him in New Orleans doesn’t look great. Missi came into this year with a lot of hype surrounding him, even starting six games, but the NBA moves quickly and it appears the Pelicans are ready to move on without Missi.
The combination of Missi still being extremely raw and appearing to lack the confidence of the coaching staff could make him a trade candidate before the deadline. It’s not hard to imagine a team taking a chance on a 21-year-old former top rookie, allowing the Pelicans to fill other needs like three-point shooting.
It’s clear that the NBA is changing quickly, and one injury could see Missi return to this team’s rotation. But if things stay the same, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets traded at some point this offseason.
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