The New Orleans Pelicans announced Friday that guard Jordan Poole has been diagnosed with a mild left quadriceps strain and will be reevaluated in approximately seven to 10 days.
Pelicans acquire Jordan Poole from Wizards in offseason trade
Poole missed the first game of the season in Dallas on Wednesday because of left knee soreness. Further tests revealed that a minor left vastus lateralis strain was causing his discomfort.
New Orleans acquired Poole from the Washington Wizards in an offseason trade.
The Pelicans traded C.J. McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick to Washington for Poole, Saddiq Bey and the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
INJURY UPDATE: The Pelicans announced today that Jordan Poole has been diagnosed with a mild left vastus lateralis (quadriceps) strain.
Poole will reassess within 7-10 days and will provide further updates as appropriate. pic.twitter.com/WVfxhMDjO7
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 7, 2025
Last season, Poole started 68 games for the Wizards, averaging 20.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and was the Wizards’ scoring leader.
He has not played a full season with the Golden State Warriors since the 2022-23 season.
Playing 7 games (4 starts) for the Pelicans this season, Poole averaged 17.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 30.3 minutes per game, setting a career high.
Poole has struggled to knock down his mid-range jumper
Poole’s efficiency, however, was anything but impressive. His shooting percentage was only 35.4%, the lowest since his rookie season (33.3%), and his three-point shooting percentage was only 33.9%.
In New Orleans’ 137-106 loss to Oklahoma City on Nov. 2 and a 116-112 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 4, he shot 5-for-25 (20 percent) in a total of 51 minutes.
Saddiq Bey was named to the starting lineup against Dallas and will likely retain that role while Poole is out. Bey missed all of last season with a torn left ACL.
Meanwhile, Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins also saw increased playing time.
The Pelicans’ schedule next week includes games against the San Antonio Spurs (Nov. 8), Phoenix Suns (Nov. 10), Portland Trail Blazers (Nov. 12) and Los Angeles Lakers (Nov. 14).
New Orleans is already playing without Zion Williamson, who is out with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. The Pelicans have won back-to-back games as they try to bounce back from a disappointing 0-6 start.
