Sources: Pelicans hiring Jamahl Mosley as head coach
The New Orleans Pelicans are hiring former Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley as the franchise’s new head coach on a five-year contract, sources advised ESPN on Monday.
Mosley reached an settlement with the Pelicans after 5 seasons in Orlando, the place he led the Magic to 3 consecutive playoff berths regardless of a number of injury-plagued campaigns.
The Magic fired Mosley on May 4 — a day after they misplaced Game 7 to the Detroit Pistons within the first spherical of the playoffs following a 3-1 collection lead — and he moved to the entrance of the obtainable teaching panorama. It cleared the best way for the Pelicans to totally concentrate on Mosley as their goal.
Sources mentioned high Pelicans officers maintained constant communication with Mosley and his agent, Bret Just of WME Basketball, since he was fired by the Magic and the edges formally met in individual final week on the NBA draft mix in Chicago.
Pelicans government vice chairman Joe Dumars underwent an intensive search, together with conversations with Milwaukee Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Rajon Rondo, Brooklyn Nets assistant Steve Hetzel and interim New Orleans coach James Borrego.
The Pelicans imagine the franchise is at a degree much like Mosley’s management and improvement plan when he took over the rebuilding Magic in 2021 after a 21-win season. It led to season-by-season enchancment, then playoff appearances.
The 47-year-old Mosley, who was second in coach of the yr voting in 2023-24, had the third-most regular-season wins in Magic franchise historical past (189). The Magic made the playoffs for 3 straight years below Mosley for the primary time since 2009-12.
Mosley constructed groups anchored by sturdy defenses, with the Magic ranked No. 3 general in 2023-24, No. 2 general in 2024-25 and eleventh this season.
In New Orleans, Mosley will undertake a roster blended with younger expertise such as Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears and Yves Missi and veterans such as Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray and Herb Jones.
The Pelicans completed the season at 26-56. They owned only one decide in June’s draft — No. 58 general — after they traded away their first-rounder in a draft-day deal a yr in the past, which helped them transfer up for Queen.