Star Guard Jordan Poole’s Sudden Quad Injury Puts New Orleans’ Season in Doubt—What This Means Next!

With Zion Williamson sidelined for at least another week nursing that nagging hamstring, and Dejounte Murray’s return pushed all the way to 2026 due to his torn Achilles, the New Orleans Pelicans find themselves scrambling to fill some pretty big shoes. Naturally, the spotlight shifted to Jordan Poole, expected to carry much of the offensive load as their primary shot creator. But, just when you thought the Pelicans might find a rhythm, Poole hits a snag—a mild strain in his left quad. He’s now set to miss at least a week, with his status hanging in limbo pending a re-evaluation within 7-10 days. While Poole’s numbers—17.3 points and 3.4 assists per game—have shown promise, his field goal percentage of just 34.5% tells a story of inefficiency that New Orleans surely hopes to turn around soon. In his absence, Saddiq Bey stepped up to start recently, and we’re likely to see increased minutes from Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins as the Pelicans navigate these choppy waters. It’s a challenging time for the team, but adversity often breeds opportunity. LEARN MORE

Zion Williamson is out for at least another week with a hamstring injury. Dejounte Murray is not expected to return to the Pelicans from his torn Achilles until the calendar flips to 2026.

That put the ball in the hands of Jordan Poole to be a primary shot creator in New Orleans, but now comes word that he has a strained left quad and will be out for at least a week, with a re-evaluation in 7-10 days.

Injury Update: The Pelicans announced today that Jordan Poole has been diagnosed with a mild left vastus lateralis (quad) strain.

Poole will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days and further updates will be appropriately provided. pic.twitter.com/WVfxhMDjO7

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 7, 2025

Poole has put up numbers for the Pelicans — 17.3 points and 3.4 assists a game — but has not been efficient doing so, shooting just 34.5% from the field.

Saddiq Bey got the start on Wednesday with Poole out, and both Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins are likely to see more run as well.