Pelicans Reportedly Down to Final Candidates for Head Coach Role

The New Orleans Pelicans are staring at a reset moment, and this hire is going to be a directional call. After back-to-back rough seasons, urgency has become real. The front office wants a voice that can connect, command, and reshape a locker room that needs identity fast.

That’s where Rajon Rondo enters the frame. The former Pelicans guard has built momentum as a serious option, backed by internal interest and fan push. His recent time with the Milwaukee Bucks gave him exposure to high-level systems, while his basketball IQ keeps him firmly in the conversation. However, experience still matters, and that’s why names like Darvin Ham carry weight in this process.

Per a report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Pelicans have narrowed their search to a final group:

“As for the league’s other coaching vacancy, New Orleans has been deliberating over finalists Darvin Ham (a Bucks associate head coach under Rivers), Steve Hetzel (Brooklyn assistant), Sean Sweeney (San Antonio associate head coach) and Rajon Rondo (a coaching associate with the Bucks). Mosley has long been believed to be a possible candidate if he became available, but it’s unclear as of yet if he’ll be added to the list.”