The New Orleans Pelicans will look to end their three-year playoff drought in the 2021-22 NBA season. They came close to qualifying for the play-in tournament last season, but injuries to key players hampered their chances of doing so.

The Pelicans have done some smart business this offseason. They managed to create cap flexibility by moving the contracts of Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams. They also struck a sign-and-trade deal to move coveted free agent Lonzo Ball instead of losing him for nothing.

The New Orleans Pelicans have made decent additions to their roster. However, they are still far from looking like legitimate playoff contenders. Nonetheless, if they use their $17 million trade exception wisely when the season starts, that narrative about them could change.

On that note, here’s a look at the New Orleans Pelicans’ roster, key dates and preseason schedule heading into the 2021-22 NBA season.


New Orleans Pelicans’ roster for 2021-22 NBA Season

New Orleans Pelicans have signed Jonas Valanciunas this offseason.Zion Williamson the most. Valanciunas offers the kind of spacing Steven Adams doesn’t. That inhibited Williamson, as the driving lanes were jammed with Adams on the floor.

Devonte’ Graham was the team’s other big signing. The former Charlotte Hornets guard will slot into the starting lineup as Lonzo Ball’s replacement. Other notable additions are veterans Tomas Satoransky and Garrett Temple. Here’s a look at the Pelicans’ roster for the 2021-22 NBA season:

Player Name: Positon: Years in the NBA:
Brandon Ingram  Forward  5
Jonas Valanciunas  Center 
Josh Hart  Guard  4
Devonte’ Graham  Guard  3
Zion Williamson  Forward  2
Tomas Satoransky  Guard  5
Jaxson Hayes  Center  1
Garrett Temple  Guard  12 
Kira Lewis Jr.  Guard  1
Nickeil Alexander-Walker  Guard  2
Trey Murphy III Forward  R
Willy Hernangomez  Center  5
Didi Louzada Forward  1
Wenyen Gabriel  Forward  2
Herbert Jones  Forward  R
Naji Marshall  Forward  1
James Nunnally (Two-way) Forward  2
Jose Alvarado (Two-way) Guard  R
Daulton Hommes (Two-way) Guard  R

The New Orleans Pelicans will be coached by Willie Green in the upcoming campaign. He worked as an assistant under Monty Williams at the Phoenix Suns last season. He seems excited to work with the young group of players. Green could inject some much-needed energy. It will be interesting to see how this partnership works out.

Eager to get started in preparations for the 2021-22 #NBA season, #Pelicans players have gathered in Nashville for voluntary workouts. New Orleans coaches and players recognize there is “something to prove” this season: on.nba.com/3Ax9Tv6
View image on Twitter

Eager to get started in preparations for the 2021-22 #NBA season, #Pelicans players have gathered in Nashville for voluntary workouts. New Orleans coaches and players recognize there is “something to prove” this season: on.nba.com/3Ax9Tv6 https://t.co/1y15pr9Gjo


Key dates for New Orleans Pelicans entering the 2021-22 NBA season

Media Day: September 27th, 2021 – Monday.

Training Camp Start Date: September 28th, 2021 – Tuesday.

Season Opener: Philadelphia 76ers vs New Orleans Pelicans (October 20th, 2021 – Wednesday, 8:00 PM ET).

The Pelicans released their official training camp roster.

View image on Twitter

The Pelicans released their official training camp roster. https://t.co/N2OpYjMh03


New Orleans Pelicans preseason schedule and dates

The New Orleans Pelicans are scheduled to play four preseason games before they kickstart their 2021-22 campaign. The Pelicans will square off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road in their first match. Here’s the full schedule:

Date and Time  Match  TV 
Monday, 10/04/2021, 8:00 PM ET New Orleans Pelicans vs Minnesota Timberwolves  Bally Sports New Orleans
Wednesday, 10/06/2021, 8:00 PM ET Orlando Magic vs New Orleans Pelicans Bally Sports New Orleans 
Friday, 10/08/2021, 8:00 PM ET New Orleans Pelicans vs Chicago Bulls  Bally Sports New Orleans 
Monday, 10/11/2021, 9:00 PM ET  New Orleans Pelicans vs Utah Jazz  Bally Sports New Orleans 

The New Orleans Pelicans will have only one game at home, against the Orlando Magic. All their other games will be on the road. All games can be viewed online via NBA League Pass with a subscription.

The Pelicans’ season opener will be against the Philadelphia 76ers at home on October 20th. The game will be televised locally on Bally Sports New Orleans and online via NBA League Pass. You may click here to view the full schedule of the Pelicans’ upcoming 2021-22 NBA campaign.

Edited by Bhargav



New Orleans Pelicans Roster, Key Dates and Preseason Schedule for 2021-22 NBA Season 
Source: Balita Manila Viral