Ranking Every Player Under 25 on the Pelicans' Roster

Youth is one of the things the New Orleans Pelicans have on their side. Heading into the 2026-2027 NBA season, the team has only one player over 30 (DeAndre Jordan). That fact is both a strength and weakness in this league, but the Pelicans hope to fast-track some of their young players to jump-start their turnaround under new head coach Jamal Mosley.

Specifically, their 25-and-under group of players features a fascinating mix of lottery investments, developmental players, and rising stars. Below are the rankings, from worst to best, of the Top Players under 25 on the Pelicans' active roster.

No. 5: Jaron Pierre Jr. & Malik Dia:

Both rookies head into the season on two-way contracts and will likely spend most of their time with the team’s G League affiliate, the Laketown Squadron.

Pierre Jr. is a hometown, feel-good story, born and raised in New Orleans and drafted by the Pelicans in the second round of this past draft. He had a strong showing in Summer League, averaging 12.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game in the games he played. He is older for a rookie at 24, but his offensive versatility made the Pelicans take a look in the second round.

Dia went undrafted after his final season at Ole Miss, but he showed flashes during the Vegas Tournament. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 10 points and 5.8 rebounds and ranked among the team’s leaders in usage.

Dia is comfortable with the ball in his hands to create for himself or his teammates, a cherished skill set among frontcourt players. Like Pierre Jr., he'll have a chance to showcase his skills in the G League, but Dia could get a call-up to the main roster.

No. 4: Bryce McGowens

McGowens turned his two-way deal into a three-year, $6 million contract last season with some strong play.

The 6-foot-6 guard set career highs in points, rebounds, and assists while shooting 40% from beyond the arc last season. McGowens appeared in 42 games for the Pelicans, who were dealing with a bevy of injuries and inconsistent play for much of the season. That allowed the former second-round pick to thrust his way into the rotation, where he stayed for most of the season.

Averaging 21 minutes a game again is probably unrealistic this year, but if he keeps shooting consistently from deep, Mosley and his staff will have no choice but to give the 23-year-old minutes. McGowens shot 47% from three when wide open, a metric that matters for a team not filled with consistent outside shooting. He can be a liability on defense, but the intrigue of whether he can keep shooting well will earn him some playing time.

No. 3: Yves Missi

Missi’s role this season will be paramount to the team's success. The Pelicans couldn't make any moves this offseason to bring in a bona fide starting center, which leaves the Cameroonian-born center as one of the team’s only interior defensive stoppers.

New Orleans ranked near the bottom of the league last season in opponent points per game and defensive rebounding percentage. Missi saw a significant drop-off in production last season compared with his rookie year, when he was selected to the All-NBA Rookie Second Team.

Still, the former Baylor standout has the athleticism to be a defensive disruptor in the league, as shown by his 1.4 career blocks per game. Missi’s biggest knock is limited offensive skill outside of a lob threat.

He struggles as a connective passer and has trouble creating real offense for himself. New Orleans hopes for numbers closer to his rookie year, when he averaged 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per contest. The Pelicans will lean heavily on the 22-year-old to help anchor their interior defense.

No. 2: Derik Queen & Jeremiah Fears

The dynamic rookie duo from last season will look to build upon an impressive first year.

Both Queen and Fears were selected to the All-NBA Rookie Second Team a season ago, and even greater expectations rest on them this campaign. The duo played 82 and 81 games, respectively, shaking off the injury bug that’s plagued this franchise over the years, while also posting impressive stats.

Queen averaged 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in his 81 appearances. He had a historic night against the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs, posting 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and becoming the first rookie center in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double. He ended the season with a 30-point, 22-rebound game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Queen has a unique skill set the Pelicans couldn’t resist, and they gave up an unprotected first-round pick to trade up and land him in the 2025 NBA Draft. New Orleans hopes his solid play continues to justify the mighty price they paid to acquire him.

Fears was the team’s lottery pick the same season they acquired Queen, and he put up some impressive numbers. The former Oklahoma standout averaged 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He set the franchise rookie record for most points in a game with 40 and became the youngest guard in NBA history to score 40 points in a game.

Fears’ speed with the ball in his hands was on full display most of the season, but you could tell he was working on his outside shot. While still not at NBA levels, he improved from 28% from three in college to 33% last season. That is still an area of improvement, but adding that to his game would take him to the next level.

No. 1: Bennedict Mathurin

The newest Pelican is easily the most accomplished in this league under 25 on the team, having already played a key role on a team that made the NBA Finals.

Mathurin has been an All-Rookie First Team selection, was the MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend, averaged over 16 points per game in his career, and scored 27 points off the bench in an NBA Finals game. New Orleans hopes his offensive versatility can spark a bench that’s been near the bottom in scoring for two of the last three seasons.

Mathurin signed a two-year deal, with the second being a player option, so no doubt he will have something to prove, especially after being traded by the Indiana Pacers to the Los Angeles Clippers last season. His downhill game and ability to get to the free-throw line are huge positives, especially for a Pelicans team that struggles in the clutch.

The former first-round pick ranks among the top five guards in free-throw rate since he entered the league. While he isn’t a knockdown shooter, Mathurin is a scorer the Pelicans will lean on to make buckets nightly.