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Last updated September 14, 2026

New Orleans Pelicans history · NBA regular season

The 25 Greatest New Orleans Pelicans of All Time

Chris Paul ranks No. 1 after producing 2,846.5 Franchise Value across 6 seasons for this franchise and its included historical identities. Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Zion Williamson, and David West complete the top five. This ranking covers 2002–03 through 2025–26.

25 ranked players2002–03 through 2025–26 franchise coverage1,000 minimum minutesRegular season only
See the full top 25How the ranking works

The answer at a glance

The top five

Franchise Value estimates how many regular-season points above a replacement-level player someone produced for this franchise. It rewards both strong seasons and staying power.

  1. No. 1

    Chris Paul

    2,846.5Franchise Value

    6 seasons · 425 games
    18.7 PPG · 4.6 RPG · 9.9 APG

  2. No. 2

    Anthony Davis

    2,746.2Franchise Value

    7 seasons · 466 games
    23.7 PPG · 10.5 RPG · 2.1 APG

  3. No. 3

    Jrue Holiday

    1,221.8Franchise Value

    7 seasons · 415 games
    17.6 PPG · 4.2 RPG · 6.8 APG

  4. No. 4

    Zion Williamson

    1,191.1Franchise Value

    6 seasons · 276 games
    23.8 PPG · 6.4 RPG · 4.1 APG

  5. No. 5

    David West

    1,099.9Franchise Value

    8 seasons · 530 games
    16.4 PPG · 7.3 RPG · 2 APG

The full list

The full top 25

Every name links to a full career profile. The best-season rank is the player’s leaguewide Impact Rate rank for that season.

  1. 1

    Chris Paul

    2,846.5 value · 6 seasons · best: 2008–09

    2,846.5Franchise Value
    6 seasons2005–06 to 2010–11
    2008–09Impact Rate No. 3
    18.7 / 4.6 / 9.9PPG / RPG / APG
  2. 2

    Anthony Davis

    2,746.2 value · 7 seasons · best: 2014–15

    2,746.2Franchise Value
    7 seasons2012–13 to 2018–19
    2014–15Impact Rate No. 2
    23.7 / 10.5 / 2.1PPG / RPG / APG
  3. 3

    Jrue Holiday

    1,221.8 value · 7 seasons · best: 2018–19

    1,221.8Franchise Value
    7 seasons2013–14 to 2019–20
    2018–19Impact Rate No. 30
    17.6 / 4.2 / 6.8PPG / RPG / APG
  4. 4

    Zion Williamson

    1,191.1 value · 6 seasons · best: 2020–21

    1,191.1Franchise Value
    6 seasons2019–20 to 2025–26
    2020–21Impact Rate No. 15
    23.8 / 6.4 / 4.1PPG / RPG / APG
  5. 5

    David West

    1,099.9 value · 8 seasons · best: 2010–11

    1,099.9Franchise Value
    8 seasons2003–04 to 2010–11
    2010–11Impact Rate No. 31
    16.4 / 7.3 / 2PPG / RPG / APG
  6. 6

    Brandon Ingram

    822.6 value · 6 seasons · best: 2020–21

    822.6Franchise Value
    6 seasons2019–20 to 2024–25
    2020–21Impact Rate No. 54
    23 / 5.5 / 5.2PPG / RPG / APG
  7. 7

    Trey Murphy III

    819.2 value · 5 seasons · best: 2025–26

    819.2Franchise Value
    5 seasons2021–22 to 2025–26
    2025–26Impact Rate No. 52
    15.4 / 4.3 / 2.2PPG / RPG / APG
  8. 8

    Baron Davis

    659.9 value · 3 seasons · best: 2003–04

    659.9Franchise Value
    3 seasons2002–03 to 2004–05
    2003–04Impact Rate No. 6
    20.2 / 4 / 7PPG / RPG / APG
  9. 9

    P.J. Brown

    632.3 value · 4 seasons · best: 2002–03

    632.3Franchise Value
    4 seasons2002–03 to 2005–06
    2002–03Impact Rate No. 36
    10.3 / 8.5 / 1.8PPG / RPG / APG
  10. 10

    CJ McCollum

    565.9 value · 4 seasons · best: 2023–24

    565.9Franchise Value
    4 seasons2021–22 to 2024–25
    2023–24Impact Rate No. 34
    21.1 / 4.2 / 5PPG / RPG / APG
  11. 11

    Tyreke Evans

    364.5 value · 4 seasons · best: 2014–15

    364.5Franchise Value
    4 seasons2013–14 to 2016–17
    2014–15Impact Rate No. 81
    14.8 / 4.8 / 5.6PPG / RPG / APG
  12. 12

    Jonas Valančiūnas

    361.0 value · 3 seasons · best: 2021–22

    361.0Franchise Value
    3 seasons2021–22 to 2023–24
    2021–22Impact Rate No. 62
    14.6 / 10.1 / 2.1PPG / RPG / APG
  13. 13

    Ryan Anderson

    353.1 value · 4 seasons · best: 2012–13

    353.1Franchise Value
    4 seasons2012–13 to 2015–16
    2012–13Impact Rate No. 67
    16.1 / 5.9 / 1.1PPG / RPG / APG
  14. 14

    DeMarcus Cousins

    343.2 value · 2 seasons · best: 2017–18

    343.2Franchise Value
    2 seasons2016–17 to 2017–18
    2017–18Impact Rate No. 15
    25 / 12.7 / 5PPG / RPG / APG
  15. 15

    Peja Stojaković

    321.0 value · 5 seasons · best: 2007–08

    321.0Franchise Value
    5 seasons2006–07 to 2010–11
    2007–08Impact Rate No. 62
    14.3 / 4 / 1.3PPG / RPG / APG
  16. 16

    Jamal Mashburn

    279.4 value · 2 seasons · best: 2002–03

    279.4Franchise Value
    2 seasons2002–03 to 2003–04
    2002–03Impact Rate No. 46
    21.5 / 6.1 / 5PPG / RPG / APG
  17. 17

    Lonzo Ball

    266.5 value · 2 seasons · best: 2020–21

    266.5Franchise Value
    2 seasons2019–20 to 2020–21
    2020–21Impact Rate No. 63
    13.1 / 5.5 / 6.4PPG / RPG / APG
  18. 18

    Tyson Chandler

    261.1 value · 3 seasons · best: 2006–07

    261.1Franchise Value
    3 seasons2006–07 to 2008–09
    2006–07Impact Rate No. 81
    10.2 / 11.3 / 0.9PPG / RPG / APG
  19. 19

    Herbert Jones

    248.4 value · 5 seasons · best: 2023–24

    248.4Franchise Value
    5 seasons2021–22 to 2025–26
    2023–24Impact Rate No. 134
    9.9 / 3.7 / 2.5PPG / RPG / APG
  20. 20

    David Wesley

    228.7 value · 3 seasons · best: 2002–03

    228.7Franchise Value
    3 seasons2002–03 to 2004–05
    2002–03Impact Rate No. 74
    15.2 / 2.5 / 3.3PPG / RPG / APG
  21. 21

    Jose Alvarado

    216.6 value · 5 seasons · best: 2021–22

    216.6Franchise Value
    5 seasons2021–22 to 2025–26
    2021–22Impact Rate No. 52
    8.1 / 2.3 / 3.1PPG / RPG / APG
  22. 22

    Darrell Armstrong

    208.6 value · 2 seasons · best: 2003–04

    208.6Franchise Value
    2 seasons2003–04 to 2004–05
    2003–04Impact Rate No. 33
    10.6 / 2.9 / 4PPG / RPG / APG
  23. 23

    Larry Nance Jr.

    205.8 value · 3 seasons · best: 2022–23

    205.8Franchise Value
    3 seasons2021–22 to 2023–24
    2022–23Impact Rate No. 59
    6.3 / 5.2 / 1.8PPG / RPG / APG
  24. 24

    Josh Hart

    201.5 value · 3 seasons · best: 2021–22

    201.5Franchise Value
    3 seasons2019–20 to 2021–22
    2021–22Impact Rate No. 78
    10.7 / 7.3 / 2.5PPG / RPG / APG
  25. 25

    Jaxson Hayes

    177.0 value · 4 seasons · best: 2021–22

    177.0Franchise Value
    4 seasons2019–20 to 2022–23
    2021–22Impact Rate No. 117
    7.5 / 4 / 0.7PPG / RPG / APG

What separates the list

Peak and staying power

The main order uses total Franchise Value. These views show who supplied the biggest single seasons and who contributed across the most seasons.

Why No. 1

Why Chris Paul leads

Chris Paul produced 2,846.5 Franchise Value, 100.3 more than Anthony Davis. His best team season was 2008–09, when he ranked No. 3 in leaguewide Impact Rate.

If you put more weight on playoff moments, championships, or awards, your order may differ. This list does not quietly fold those judgments into the number.

Most seasons among the top 25

David West · 8 seasons

David West logged 530 games and 17,160 regular-season minutes across 2003–04 to 2010–11.

Best individual seasons

  1. 1
    Chris Paul2008–09 · Impact Rate No. 3
    700.4
  2. 2
    Chris Paul2007–08 · Impact Rate No. 2
    679.3
  3. 3
    Anthony Davis2014–15 · Impact Rate No. 2
    525.3
  4. 4
    Anthony Davis2017–18 · Impact Rate No. 6
    513.4
  5. 5
    Anthony Davis2016–17 · Impact Rate No. 11
    485.7

Franchise Value leaders by decade

  1. 2000s
    Chris PaulMost value in the decade
    2,361.2
  2. 2010s
    Anthony DavisMost value in the decade
    2,746.2
  3. 2020s
    Zion WilliamsonMost value in the decade
    1,126.5

Just outside the list

Nos. 26–30

  1. No. 26Julius Randle175.7
  2. No. 27Nikola Mirotić166.2
  3. No. 28Saddiq Bey161.0
  4. No. 29Trevor Ariza160.2
  5. No. 30Marcus Thornton159.6

Method and limits

What this ranking measures

This is a model ranking, not a claim that one number settles every argument about franchise greatness.

01

Count only team value

We add the player’s hussEyquation Season Value only while he belonged to this franchise. A player needs at least 1,000 franchise minutes to qualify.

02

Split traded seasons

When a player changed teams, his season value is divided by the minutes played at each stop. In 1950–51, when minutes were not recorded, games are used instead.

03

Use one clear order

Higher total Franchise Value ranks first. Ties are broken by the player’s best leaguewide Impact Rate rank, then franchise minutes. Peak seasons and per-game stats are context, not hidden inputs.

04

Know what is missing

The model covers NBA regular seasons from 1950–51 onward. Playoffs, championships, awards, cultural importance, and ABA seasons are not inputs.

Sources and historical estimates: Team stints and conventional totals come from Basketball Reference; Franchise Value comes from the hussEyquation model. The site reconstructs missing box-score inputs through 1972–73. Exact Raw BPM inputs begin in 1973–74. In a traded season, the model has one combined season impact estimate; only the value allocation is split by team workload. Data were checked for this release on September 14, 2026. Read the full methodology.

Quick answers

New Orleans Pelicans ranking FAQ

Who is the greatest New Orleans Pelicans player of all time?

Within this NBA regular-season ranking, which begins in 2002–03, Chris Paul ranks first with 2,846.5 Franchise Value produced for this franchise.

Who had the best single season in this ranking?

Chris Paul has the highest team-season value in this dataset: 700.4 in 2008–09. He ranked No. 3 in leaguewide Impact Rate that season.

How are the top 25 ranked?

The order is total regular-season Franchise Value, which adds up value above replacement produced for this franchise. More value ranks higher.

Which earlier team names and locations are included?

Includes the New Orleans Hornets and New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets beginning in 2002–03.

Keep exploring

Greatest players for every NBA team

Move from this franchise to any of the other 29 current NBA teams, or compare these players with the leaguewide career ranking.

Leaguewide all-time rankingsCurrent NBA team power rankingsChris Paul’s full career profile