Jordan Poole was seeking a fresh start under a new head coach in New Orleans, but it appears to be more of the same for the former Golden State Warriors guard when it comes Jamahl Mosley's Pelicans rotation.
Despite playing reasonably well in his preseason minutes to date, Poole still looks like he'll be buried deep in the rotation after playing just 39 games last season in what was comfortably the worst year of his NBA career since his rookie campaign with the Warriors.
Jordan Poole appears buried in Pelicans rotation despite coaching change
Poole's numbers have been good so far in preseason considering his limited minutes, averaging 9.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists on an impressive 63.6% shooting from the floor and 42.9% from 3-point range. Plus-minus numbers should be taken with a grain of salt during preseason, but Poole's +10 is easily the best of any Pelicans player as the team has gone 2-1 in their three games.
Despite this, Poole ranks just ninth in average minutes which suggests his role will be limited once their regular season gets underway against the Indiana Pacers next Wednesday. The guard rotation, in particular, has multiple options that grew during the offseason with the free agency addition of Bennedict Mathurin.
New Orleans continue to prioritize the development of young guard Jeremiah Fears, but he's likely to come off the bench behind the starting duo of veterans Dejounte Murray and Herb Jones. Throw in Mathurin as another reserve guard, and suddenly Poole could be fifth in line as the season gets underway.
Perhaps the biggest reflection of Poole's stature in the rotation came on Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks where Mosley started his reserves, yet the 27-year-old still came off the bench alongside the team's stars in Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III.
WHERE IS JORDAN POOLE BROOOO https://t.co/JBs9eQzx5D
— Chris Lambert (@CLambertmedia) October 15, 2026
Jordan Poole could still provide value to playoff contender
If this is the reality for Poole again this season, Joe Dumars and the Pelicans front office will surely continue to explore a trade that finds some value to the rotation and gives the former Warrior guard a genuine fresh start.
Even though Poole is now on an expiring contract, his $34 million deal is still significant and may be hard to move. He could provide value to a playoff contender as a shot-making piece off the bench, though that will be more so after this season when he's likely to be on a significantly reduced contract.
Poole deserves to be removed from the dysfunction of the Pelicans and find himself on a more relevant team again, even if he never delivers on the promise that he showed at the Warriors and which earned him a $130 million contract.
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