Pelicans' Dumars Endorses Borrego for Full-Time Coach Role

New Orleans Pelicans basketball operations chief Joe Dumars indicated Tuesday that interim head coach James Borrego remains a strong candidate for the permanent position as the team evaluates its options following a 26-56 finish to the 2025-26 season. The announcement came during an end-of-season news conference, where Dumars emphasized a deliberate process without a set timeline, stating his priority is "to get it right."

The Pelicans parted ways with previous coach Willie Green after a 2-10 start in November, promoting Borrego, who had served as an associate head coach in New Orleans. Under Borrego, the team compiled a 24-46 record, marking the second straight season with at least 50 losses, the first such occurrence in franchise history. Despite the struggles, Dumars highlighted Borrego's strengths, including his daily communication with players and ability to maintain positivity amid adversity. "He never let the building get completely collapsed," Dumars said. "He always tried to keep the team up and positive."

Dumars dismissed concerns that retaining Borrego after a losing season would signal complacency to fans, noting the franchise's limited postseason success since the...