Pelicans Face Roster Crunch With Jordan Hawkins

The New Orleans Pelicans are facing a roster deadline as they must trim their current 16-man squad to 15 players before the regular season begins in October, as Sports Illustrated first reported. This follows the team's addition of guard Bennedict Mathurin.

Jordan Hawkins, the 24-year-old shooting guard selected 14th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, is viewed as a likely candidate for a split. Sports Illustrated reports that Hawkins suffered career lows in field goal percentage, minutes, games played, and points during the 2025-26 season, where he struggled with defensive issues and shooting slumps. This included a period from late December through January where he shot 40% or less from the field in 16 of 17 games, leading to a nine-game benching.

While the Pelicans previously engaged in trade discussions with the Memphis Grizzlies regarding the former UConn player, no deal was reached. However, Sports Illustrated notes that Memphis remains a logical partner. The Grizzlies are currently in a full rebuild after trading point guard Ja Morant and possess a massive trade exception that could facilitate a deal without matching salaries. Additionally, Memphis possesses five second-round picks to use over the coming three years.

From a financial standpoint, the Grizzlies could absorb Hawkins' expiring $7 million contract. Outside of forward Jerami Grant, who was acquired in the Morant trade, no other Memphis player earns more than $15 million per season. The Grizzlies' current young core consists of Cedric Coward, Cameron Boozer, and Zach Edey, all of whom are on rookie deals.