The 2025-2026 season has been a disaster for the New Orleans Pelicans as the team is 13-37 through 50 games. While much of the squad has underperformed during a season that has gone off the rails, no player’s situation feels more precarious than Jordan Poole’s.
Poole arrived in New Orleans as the front office’s biggest offseason addition with high expectations after a career year in Washington. But things just didn’t work out that way, and with Poole receiving his third straight DNP against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, it appears his tenure as a Pelican could be over after just 28 games.
Beat Pelicans reporter for The AthleticsWill Guillory, reported Poole’s removal comes out of the rotation as the front office tries to dangle him in trade talks.
Production that does not match the role
Through his 28 games in New Orleans this season, Poole has averaged 14.5 points, 3.1 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game while shooting 37.0 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from three. These numbers fall far short of what was expected from a player expected to open the season as the team’s starting point guard.
To Poole’s credit, his year was disrupted early. An injury eight games into the season left him sidelined for seventeen consecutive games, making it difficult to create rhythm or continuity. The Pelicans are 25 games away from that, though, and there are no signs of Poole even coming close to finding a consistent offensive rhythm.
His incredibly inefficient shooting numbers are coupled with defensive limitations, making it impossible for the coaching staff to give him extended minutes. When these on-field issues are paired with a removal from the rotation less than a week before the trade deadline, it paints a clear picture of where the front office stands on his future.
The picture becomes even more clouded when you look at his contract. With one year left on his contract $30+ million next seasonthe Pelicans may even have to add a sweetener in the form of draft picks or young talent to offload his contract.
For some fans, that reality could complicate trading Poole. But given the direction of Poole’s season and the Pelicans’ broader trajectory, this may be the only viable path forward.
With the February 5 trade deadline just around the corner, it wouldn’t be surprising if Jordan Poole isn’t wearing Pelicans colors the next time we see him play.
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