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Pelicans' Jordan Poole Problem Is Impossible to Solve

Originally posted on New Orleans Pelicans on SI
By Cem Yolbulan | Last updated Jan 28, 2026 11:43 AM ET

The New Orleans Pelicans fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night after a hard-fought battle. It was a solid showing against the best team in the league, especially on the defensive end, putting up a 108.5 defensive rating.

It's not a coincidence that this defensive improvement came immediately after Jordan Poole was benched. The veteran guard received back-to-back DNP-Coach's Decisions after already seeing his minutes reduced recently. With how the team has performed without him, it's safe to assume that Poole will remain at the end of the bench for the foreseeable future.

Normally, this would mean that Poole's time with the Pelicans will come to an end, most likely at the trade deadline. The problem here is that the 26-year-old may be untradable due to his contract.

Jordan Poole’s Time in New Orleans Is Over, but He May Be Untradable

It has already been reported that the Pelicans are willing to move on from Poole before the February 5 trade deadline. The former Warrior makes $31.8 million this season and is due $34 million next season. This makes him a massively negative asset that the Pelicans will struggle to offload.

The Pelicans already owe their 2026 first-round pick. They don't have any second-round picks until the 2030 NBA Draft. They certainly can't afford to use any draft capital just to get out of Poole's contract. As the team with the worst record in the Western Conference, the Pelicans need to be accumulating assets, not getting rid of them to offload bad contracts.

This creates a fascinating dilemma for the front office. They can either use Poole in a trade, including one of their valuable veterans like Herb Jones. This could certainly lower the return the Pelicans get in that deal, but lead decision-maker Joe Dumars may not have another choice.

The alternative is to hold onto Poole until at least the offseason. He could continue to be a benchwarmer, which would lower his trade value even further. Over the summer, the Pelicans could perhaps have a better chance of trading him as an expiring contract.

There is no guarantee that it will be possible. It's not like teams will be lining up to trade for a player with a waning effort level and serious defensive issues, regardless of the financial flexibility it will bring to the acquiring team in the long run. One of the only reasons a team would want to acquire Poole is if they can get out of an even worse contract that extends longer. That way, the Pelicans can maybe get some draft capital back.

That is the decision the Pelicans have to make. Do they want to keep Poole until the 2027 offseason, give up draft capital to offload him, or take on even worse long-term salary in exchange for some assets? We will know more about which way they are leaning when it's officially past the 3.00 pm EST deadline on February 5.