New Orleans Pelicans

Who are the New Orleans Pelicans free agents in 2026-27?

Season2026-272027-28 2028-29 2029-30 2030-31

The Pelicans have 5 free agents carrying cap holds for 2026-27, led by DeAndre Jordan, Bryce McGowens, Trey Alexander.

DeAndre Jordan (Non-Bird (120%))

$2.7M

Bryce McGowens (Non-Bird (120%))

$2.2M

Trey Alexander (Minimum hold)

$2.2M

Hunter Dickinson (Minimum hold)

$2.2M

Josh Oduro (Minimum hold)

$2.2M

Total holds

$11.5M

Each unsigned free agent occupies a cap hold sized by his Bird bracket (a percentage of his previous salary), totalling $11.5M on the Pelicans' books. Holds count against the cap only, never the tax or aprons.

Each hold stays until the player re-signs, signs elsewhere, or is renounced. Renouncing clears the hold instantly but surrenders the Bird rights to re-sign him over the cap.

The rule behind this

A cap hold is a placeholder amount charged to a team's cap for each of its own free agents, sized as a percentage of his previous salary (his Bird bracket). It exists to stop a loophole: without holds, a team could spend all its cap space on outsiders and then still re-sign its own stars with Bird rights.

What is the cap hold? →What are Bird rights? →What does renouncing a free agent mean? →