The New Orleans Pelicans, who have started the 2025-26 season with a 0-4 record, are holding serious internal discussions about moving on from head coach Willie Green, multiple league sources told ClutchPoints.
Although ownership has stood by Green's side over the years, including when David Griffin wanted to move on from Green in the offseason, Joe Dumars, the team's new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, and new members of the Pelicans' front office have been questioning the head coach's future.
Before he was fired and replaced by Dumars, Griffin was expected to seriously consider parting ways with Green. Ultimately, the organization and ownership decided to keep Green and fire Griffin. Once again, there is a growing sense of the front office wanting a change on the sidelines in New Orleans. Whether ownership approves of such a move is the question at large.
Any time a new front office takes over, it always feels like it is a matter of time before changes are made on the sideline. While Green, Dumars, and ownership hold a strong relationship, it appears the coach's tenure is nearing its end.
Amid the Pelicans' 0-4 start to the season, several players have appeared disinterested and frustrated with how Green's lineups are being handled, sources said. These displeasures have been visible on the team's bench, as well as heard behind the scenes in the tunnel and locker room.
Through the team's first handful of games, star forward Zion Williamson has been seen engaging more than usual with associate head coach James Borrego during his pregame warmups and routine.
Borrego, who has interviewed for several head coaching jobs through the years across the NBA, would likely be named the Pelicans' interim coach if a decision to move on from Green is made in the coming weeks, sources said.
There has been a growing sentiment around the NBA that Green has lost the Pelicans' locker room, and that was evident on Wednesday night on the road against the Denver Nuggets. One of Green's most questionable decisions to begin the season was starting 37-year-old center DeAndre Jordan, who just signed with the team on Friday, over All-Rookie center Yves Missi in Denver.
After trailing 53-47 at halftime, the Pelicans were outscored 39-11 in the third quarter, allowing the Nuggets to go on a 29-2 run over the first eight minutes of the second half. During this span, players on New Orleans' bench were seen shaking their heads and essentially quitting in the middle of the game. Green called three timeouts during this span to try to get his team back on track.
The Pelicans went on to lose 122-88 on Thursday, their fourth straight loss to begin the season and their second straight loss by 22-plus points. New Orleans will play two more games on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder before returning home for a matchup with the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, November 6.
Speculation surrounding the Pelicans indicates a decision on Green's future being made when the team returns from its current three-game road trip, sources told ClutchPoints. No team in NBA history has ever made the playoffs after starting a season 0-6.
Similar remarks have also been shared by Pelicans reporter Shamit Dua, who also reported on rumblings of Green's potential firing upon returning to New Orleans from the team's current road trip.
Since being named the head coach of the team in 2021, Green has posted a 148-184 record with the Pelicans, taking the organization to the playoffs in 2022 and 2024. Should the Pelicans make the decision to move on from Green, it is unknown whether he would remain with the franchise in the front office or in some capacity as an advisor.
ClutchPoints' Pelicans reporter and insider Chris Dodson also contributed to this report.
