Former UConn Huskies Star Entering Make-or-Break Season in the NBA

A former member of the University of Connecticut Huskies 2022-23 championship team is about to enter the most important season of his NBA career. After a breakout year in his sophomore campaign under Head Coach Dan Hurley, Jordan Hawkins will be looking to make a similar leap at the professional level for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2025-26.

He did enough in his first two seasons for New Orleans to feel comfortable picking up its team option for a third go-around, but he'll likely have to show a lot more to earn a fourth year, or better yet, a long-term extension. In 2024-25, the Pelicans' roster suffered a litany of injuries, tanking a playoff hopeful and turning it into a lottery squad once again.

They now have a strong and deep collection of talent after adding three rookies in the 2025 NBA Draft: point guard Jeremiah Fears out of Oklahoma, Maryland big man Derik Queen, and Georgetown's Micah Peavy on the wings. Not only will Jordan Hawkins be competing for his professional future, but he'll be fighting for minutes on a team that's hoping to make a return to the postseason.

Jordan Hawkins has to step up big time for the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2025-26 NBA season

Barring any further trades, the New Orleans Pelicans have seven players who are sure to be a part of the rotation next season: Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Kevon Looney, and 2024 first-round pick Yves Missi. That only leaves a few spots open between Jordan Hawkins, Saddiq Bey, Jose Alvarado, and the three incoming rookies.

Last year, Hawkins didn't take advantage of the opportunities that the Pelicans' unfortunate injuries presented him. After an encouraging start to the year, he suffered a setback of his own, aggravating an existing issue with his back. He wound up averaging just 10.8 points on an inefficient 37 percent shooting from the field, including a subpar 33 percent from the 3-point line.

Considering he was drafted as a shooting specialist to help space the floor for Zion Williamson and New Orleans's other slashers, those numbers aren't going to cut it moving forward. The good news for Hawkins is that the Pelicans are going to be shorthanded once again to start the 2025-26 season.

Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Derik Queen are all set to miss time at the beginning of the campaign with various injuries, with Murray unavailable until 2026. Jordan Hawkins has to take full advantage of any opportunities he might get from Head Coach Willie Green early on to prove that his poor shooting last season was solely due to injuries. Otherwise, his NBA future could be in jeopardy.