For years, the New Orleans Pelicans have been stuck in no man's land, as they have not made it past the first round of the playoffs since they were led by Anthony Davis in the 2017-18 season, and before then, it was not until they were led by Chris Paul in the 2007-08 season. Regardless of recent postseason success, the Pelicans have a surprisingly talented roster for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Of course, the franchise has been building around Zion Williamson since they drafted him first overall in 2019, but they have put legitimate pieces around him. The Pelicans have a new-look core of Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole, Yves Missi, Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, Kevon Looney, Jose Alvarado, Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, and Jordan Hawkins, creating a very talented lineup.