New Orleans picked up 2027-28 team options for Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen and Yves Missi, keeping all three under contract for another season. The Pelicans declined AJ Johnson’s option, making him an unrestricted free agent after this season.

By the Numbers
  • Fears: $8.27 million option; averaged 14.3 points and 3.4 assists in 82 games.
  • Queen: $5.67 million option; averaged 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
  • Missi: $5.6 million option; averaged 5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 19.7 minutes per game.
  • Johnson: $5.49 million option declined; averaged 3.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in 2025-26.
Yes, But

Fears and Queen showed promise as rookies, but both could begin the season coming off the bench. Missi’s role also shrank in his second year, while Johnson has yet to establish himself as a dependable rotation player.

What's Next

Johnson can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. New Orleans can’t offer him a starting salary above the declined $5.49 million option, but other teams can.

Bottom Line

The Pelicans are investing in three young players they see as part of their future while giving themselves flexibility on Johnson, whose next contract will depend on proving he can contribute consistently.