The New Orleans Pelicans had a tough last season. Injuries, inconsistency, and a lack of momentum hurt the team throughout the year. They finished with a 26-56 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Now, with another important offseason underway, the Pelicans are being linked to a major move that could completely change the direction of the franchise.
Latest Trade Prediction Regarding the New Orleans Pelicans
NBA analyst Jake Weinbach has predicted that the Pelicans will pull off a trade this offseason that sends Ja Morant and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to New Orleans. In return, the Memphis Grizzlies would get Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole, and Yves Missi.
A trade idea between the Pelicans and Grizzlies:
• Pelicans
Ja Morant
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope• Grizzlies
Dejounte Murray
Jordan Poole
Yves MissiNew Orleans continues to be mentioned as a realistic suitor for Morant.
— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) June 21, 2026
After a turbulent season with the Grizzlies, Morant keeps coming up as a realistic fit for New Orleans. Things between Morant and Memphis began to go downhill in October of last year.
In a game against the Lakers, Morant managed just eight points. Then it was revealed that Coach Tuomas Iisalo confronted him in the locker room afterward, questioning his effort and whether he was really stepping up as a team leader. Instead of taking the criticism and working through it, Morant reportedly got defensive.
Then, on November 1, he had another clash with Iisalo. This one wasn’t small. It cost him a one-game suspension. When reporters later asked him why his minutes had been cut, he didn’t really answer. He told them to go ask the coaches themselves.
Morant is currently in the middle of a five-year, $197,230,450 designated rookie extension he signed with Memphis back in July 2022. The deal runs through the 2027-28 season. For the 2025-26 season, he earned a base salary of $39,446,090.
Despite all the drama, Morant can still play. In the 2025-26 season, he averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists per game. If he ends up in New Orleans, he would give the Pelicans a hard-driving point guard who creates easy shots for everyone around him.
He can push the ball up the floor in a hurry and find Zion Williamson cutting to the rim or working in the post, turning Williamson’s drives into even more open looks for the rest of the roster.
This remains only a prediction at this stage. What will ultimately happen remains to be seen.
