New Orleans Pelicans Schedule 2026
A 2-10 start cost Willie Green his job last season, and interim coach James Borrego steered New Orleans Pelicans roster decisions the rest of the way to a 26-56 finish and a fourth playoff miss in five years. Zion Williamson played over sixty games for just the third time in his career, joined by Trey Murphy III, CJ McCollum, and Dejounte Murray on an injury-battered roster. This offseason brought a coaching change, not an overhaul, with Jamahl Mosley arriving from the Orlando Magic in May. Watch Event Tickets Center for updates as New Orleans looks to take a step forward.
Smoothie King Center events fill an arena just blocks from the French Quarter, where jazz-inspired murals and purple-and-gold accents tie the building into the city's broader identity. Roughly seventeen thousand seats keep the lower bowl close to the action, and local Cajun and Creole food stands set the concessions apart from most NBA arenas. Riverfront views frame the plaza outside on gameday. Check the schedule before planning a night downtown.
New Orleans opens the season at home against the Indiana Pacers on October 21, 2026, kicking off an 80-game slate that will grow to 82 once the Emirates NBA Cup bracket is set. The Southwest Division rival Memphis Grizzlies provide the most familiar test on the schedule, with four meetings shaping the race for positioning. New Orleans Pelicans games against the San Antonio Spurs carry international flavor this year too, with two matchups set for Paris and Manchester in January.
New Orleans has never advanced past the Western Conference Semifinals, a level the franchise reached as recently as 2018 before the Golden State Warriors swept the run short. NBA playoffs tickets last mattered in New Orleans during the 2024 postseason, when the Pelicans fell in the first round to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Two rebuilding seasons have followed, and health for Zion Williamson remains the single biggest variable standing between this roster and a return to the postseason picture. Championship banners have never hung in New Orleans, a drought the front office hopes new leadership on the bench can finally begin to address.
Having a healthy Zion Williamson continues to be the best version of this team's ceiling, and pairing him with Trey Murphy III and CJ McCollum gives New Orleans real shooting, playmaking, and size to build around. Jamahl Mosley inherits a roster with more talent than its record showed last season. The Southwest Division will not get any easier. Claim New Orleans Pelicans tickets at Event Tickets Center.