New Orleans, May 18, 2026, 10:04 CDT
- ESPN reported that New Orleans is bringing in Jamahl Mosley on a five-year contract.
- With the hire, the team wraps up its search for a new coach after letting Willie Green go and James Borrego stepping in as interim.
- Mosley’s known for defense. Still, Orlando’s track record in the postseason stands out as the main risk here.
Jamahl Mosley, most recently with the Orlando Magic, is set to take over as the New Orleans Pelicans’ next head coach on a five-year deal, sources told ESPN on Monday. The hire hands Joe Dumars, overseeing basketball operations, a long-term option after the Pelicans stumbled to a 26-56 finish.
Timing is key here. New Orleans has gone 12 games without a permanent coach since letting Willie Green go, and the Mosley agreement puts a framework in place for the franchise ahead of the draft and any roster moves this offseason.
Mosley, 47, didn’t wait long for another shot. He was let go by Orlando back on May 4, after the Magic dropped a 3-1 first-round series lead to the Detroit Pistons. Over his five years with the team, Mosley posted a 189-221 record and steered Orlando from a rebuild to three playoff berths in a row.
Senior Pelicans officials kept up steady communication with Mosley and his agent, Bret Just of WME Basketball, following his dismissal by the Magic, ESPN reported. Last week, the two parties sat down together in Chicago at the NBA draft combine, the league’s annual pre-draft scouting event.
According to ESPN, Dumars also spoke with Milwaukee Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Rajon Rondo, Brooklyn Nets assistant Steve Hetzel, and Borrego. Hoops Rumors said Sunday that executives at the combine speculated the Pelicans were holding off because they were waiting on Mosley.
New Orleans is banking on Mosley’s defensive chops and knack for player development—the aspects of his Orlando stint that stood out. Under Mosley, the Magic finished third in overall defense in 2023-24, climbed to second in 2024-25, and landed at 11th this season, according to ESPN.
Still, it’s far from straightforward. Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray, and Jordan Poole are all on the Pelicans’ roster, with prospects like Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, and Yves Missi also in the mix. But after moving last year’s first-round pick, ESPN says New Orleans has just the No. 58 selection in June’s draft.
Dumars hinted back in November that the decision to switch coaches was about more than just results on the scoreboard. “We have to establish who is going to be here in New Orleans going forward and I just did not see that happening,” he told reporters after Green was dismissed, as quoted by the Associated Press and posted on NBA.com. NBA
The drawbacks are obvious. Mosley failed to deliver a playoff series win in Orlando, and the way the Magic unraveled was dramatic: they were up 3-1 against Detroit, blew a 24-point advantage in Game 6, then dropped Game 7. “On me,” Mosley said, taking the blame after the series loss, according to Reuters. Reuters
After firing Mosley, Orlando’s president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman talked up the need for “a new perspective” and “a fresh voice,” though he gave Mosley his due on the rebuild. That’s the bind New Orleans is stepping into now. Mosley turned a young roster into a steady playoff presence, but couldn’t crack the first round. AP News
In New Orleans, Mosley faces a more focused, immediate challenge. He’s got to coax defense and smoother offense from a roster plagued by injuries and not much draft support—plus, avoid the stagnant stretches that pushed Dumars into action before Thanksgiving last season.
