The Pelicans have exercised their 2027‑28 team options on Jeremiah Fears ($8.27 MM), Derik Queen ($5.67 MM) and Yves Missi ($5.6 MM), HoopsHype reports. They also declined AJ Johnson’s $5.49 MM option, turning him into an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Fears, the No. 7 pick of the 2025 draft, logged 14.3 points and 3.4 assists over 82 games, starting 49 of them. He shot 33 % from beyond the arc and is projected to serve as the Pelicans’ sixth man behind starter Dejounte Murray.
Queen arrived via a contentious 2025 draft‑night trade that sent an unprotected 2026 pick to move into the 13th slot. The former Maryland forward/center posted 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists, missing just one game, and may also begin the season off the bench.
Missi’s second year saw his minutes shrink after 67 rookie starts; he averaged 5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 19.7 minutes across 66 games (14 starts). In my view, retaining him as a rotation big‑man makes sense given his starter potential.
Johnson, a 2024 first‑rounder acquired from Memphis in a four‑player deal, bounced among three clubs in his first two seasons and never cemented a role. In 2025‑26 he posted 3.3 PPG and 1.1 RPG in 9.5 minutes over 48 outings for Washington and Dallas, after a six‑team summer trade.
If Johnson fulfills the final year of his contract, the Pelicans cannot exceed the $5.49 MM value of his declined option for a starter’s salary, though rival teams could. Will the Pelicans secure a more fitting destination for Johnson?