Even though the Charlotte Bobcats franchise is the most recent expansion entry into the NBA, the New Orleans Pelicans franchise carries the least amount of history. When the Bobcats rebranded into the Hornets in 2014, they reclaimed the history of the Charlotte Hornets franchise that originated in 1988.
This means that the former Hornets that rebranded into the Pelicans in 2013 now carry just its history since moving to New Orleans in 2002. Even then, despite having the shortest history among all NBA teams, many superstar-level talents have suited up for the Pelicans franchise.
But which among them has done enough in their careers to warrant inclusion in their 10 greatest players of all-time list? With plenty of room for improvement for some of these players, here is the current Top 10 list for the Pelicans franchise through its 23 years of history.
Honorable Mentions: DeMarcus Cousins, Peja Stojakovic, Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon
10. Jamal Mashburn
Jamal Mashburn was only 32 years old when he last suited up on an NBA court. Knee injuries plagued Mashburn, and the talented scoring forward was unable to recover after he underwent microfracture surgery.
Even then, Mashburn makes the cut on this list since he played 101 games for the team, averaging 21.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 41.6 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent from deep. His peak season also came with the team, as he made the All-Star team as a New Orleans Hornet during the 2002-03 season.
9. Trey Murphy III
Trey Murphy III is having a breakout season with the Pelicans, averaging career-highs in points (21.2), rebounds (5.1), and assists (3.5) per game. His dramatic increase in scoring has helped him climb into ninth place in Pelicans history in total points scored in just his fourth season. The future is bright for the 24-year-old small forward.
8. PJ Brown
PJ Brown came into the league at the exact correct time, as his lack of offensive production would have made it difficult for teams to rely on him during crucial moments. But Brown’s defensive acumen should certainly translate into any era, as the 6’11 big man, back in his prime, could anchor defenses in his sleep.
In four seasons as a New Orleans Hornet, Brown averaged 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. During the 2002-03 season, a campaign in which the Hornets won 47 games, Brown anchored the team’s seventh-ranked defense (based on points allowed per 100 possessions).
PJ Brown may not have been the flashiest name on the block, but he certainly did a job for a team that was in a transitory phase.
7. Tyson Chandler
When the Hornets won 56 games during the 2007-08 season, Tyson Chandler was at the heart of their seventh-ranked defense, complementing the likes of Chris Paul and David West beautifully.
In fact, Paul and Chandler played some sweet string music on the pick-and-roll, and with West, Peja Stojakovic, and Morris Peterson providing some reliable spacing (West more so from the midrange), the Hornets posted the league’s fifth-best offense that season.
However, like all of the players in this list thus far, Chandler did not have the longest of stints in the Big Easy. In fact, he played just three seasons for the Hornets before the team dealt him away for Emeka Okafor in a deal that didn’t quite work according to plan. But he was a crucial part of the best team in Pelicans franchise history, and that has to count for something.
6. Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson hasn’t had the easiest go, especially as of late. In the 2023 offseason alone, he had to deal with an embarrassing saga involving an ex-lover, and he also had a lawsuit over an unpaid loan to deal with. And to top it all off, he’s had to endure a plethora of injury problems throughout his six-year career thus far.
But when healthy, Williamson has a case for a spot in the top three on this list. That’s how good he has been whenever lower-body troubles aren’t bothering him. In 214 games for the Pelicans, Williamson has averaged 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, making the All-Star team twice.
Zion Williamson is only 24 years old, so there’s a lot of time left for the high-flying lefty to continue climbing the ladder of greatest Pelicans players of all time. He’s already sixth in scoring and 10th in assists on the Pelicans statistical leaderboard.
5. Brandon Ingram
Acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in the Anthony Davis trade in 2019, Brandon Ingram played in 305 games for the Pelicans — 91 more than Williamson who joined the team in the same year.
In terms of peak impact, Williamson has Ingram beat. However, Williamson hasn’t been nearly available enough to warrant a higher place than Ingram on the all-time Pelicans player rankings.
Ingram emerged as one of the best shot-creating wings in the NBA, averaging 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in his nearly six seasons as a Pelican. He reached fifth place in Pelicans history in scoring and third in assists before the Pelicans traded Ingram to the Toronto Raptors in February 2025 for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and a couple draft picks.
4. Jrue Holiday
The Pelicans, during the same offseason they rebranded from the Hornets moniker, acquired Jrue Holiday from the Philadelphia 76ers. Back then, Holiday was coming off his best season yet as a pro, and at only 23 years old, the Pelicans believed that he’d be the playmaker who can bring out the best in Anthony Davis.
However, the Pelicans’ roster didn’t exactly make sense in the early 2010s, as the team also acquired Tyreke Evans to further complicate the team’s ballhandling duties. For a while, Holiday moved into the background, even coming off the bench for 42 games during the 2015-16 season.
Holiday still managed to reach fourth place in the Pelicans’ all-time list for scoring, second for assists, and ninth for rebounds.
But during the 2017-18 season, Jrue Holiday burst into the spotlight with an incredible playoff performance, specifically against the Portland Trail Blazers. Since then, Holiday has cemented his place as one of the best two-way guards in the NBA — earning All-Defensive First Team honors in 2018 and a place on the All-Defensive Second Team in 2019.
3. David West
Is it a coincidence that David West’s Hornets career began to take off the moment the team drafted Chris Paul? Paul and West had incredible chemistry, and since the 2005-06 season, the bruising power forward emerged as one of the most reliable midrange scorers in the league, able to take on defenders with his back to the basket and excelling on the pick and pop.
West spent eight years in New Orleans, averaging 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds while making the All-Star team twice. He ranks second on the team in total points, tallying 8,690 throughout his stint in the Big Easy.
2. Anthony Davis
It’s too bad that Anthony Davis’ stint with the Pelicans franchise ended on a “That’s All Folks!” whimper, as it certainly seemed like the team was taking the leap following an impressive 2017-18 campaign. But as it stands, even with the terrible manner Davis’ stint in the Big Easy ended, he remains one of the best players in franchise history.
For starters, Davis is the franchise’s leading scorer, as the Brow tallied 11,059 points in his seven-year Hornets/Pelicans tenure. He also leads the Pelicans franchise leaderboard in blocks and rebounds. Moreover, Davis made the All-Star team as a Pelican six times, won All-NBA First Team honors thrice and All-NBA Second Team twice.
Anthony Davis may not be a 1A star on a title-winning team, as he needs a ballhandling co-star to bring out the best in him. But even without too much team success during his seven years in New Orleans, Davis’ year-to-year excellence for the Pelicans makes him worthy of this spot all the same.
1. Chris Paul
It’s certainly an interesting tidbit in Chris Paul’s career that he’s the greatest player of two separate franchises. That is simply the Point God effect. Paul’s unselfishness and leadership raises the floor of every single team he’s played for, and his six-year stint with the Hornets is no different.
Paul may not have the raw numbers that Anthony Davis has, but the Point God led the franchise to its best season in 2008, a season in which he averaged 21.1 points, 11.6 assists, and 2.7 steals on insane shooting efficiency. And as an encore, Paul one-upped himself the following year even though the team wasn’t able to replicate its success.
Chris Paul is still the franchise’s all-time leader in assists and steals, as his two-way prowess was in full display throughout his Hornets career. He’s also third in scoring. All in all, Paul made the All-Star team four times as a Hornet and the All-NBA First Team and All-NBA Second Team once each.
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