The 2018–19 New Orleans Pelicans season was the 17th season of the New Orleans Pelicans franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
This season also marked the highest number of points scored in a game for the New Orleans franchise, with a franchise-high 149 points scored in their second game of the season on an October 19, 2018 win over the Sacramento Kings. However, the season also produced plenty of turmoil for the team through the surprising departure of DeMarcus Cousins to the Golden State Warriors in free agency, Anthony Davis announcing trade demands that ultimately were not met during this season, and the firing of general manager Dell Demps during the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend. All of this would lead the Pelicans to another losing season with Davis on the team, with a 138–136 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns on March 16, ultimately eliminating them from playoff contention.
On May 14, 2019, after the conclusion of this season, the Pelicans won the top draft choice, making it the second time they won the lottery.
Also, this season marked the end of the Anthony Davis era in New Orleans, as he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on July 6, 2019.
Draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College / Club 2 51 Tony Carr PG Penn State
Roster
Standings
Division
Conference
Game log
Preseason
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 1 | September 30 | @ Chicago | | Holiday, Jackson (16) | Payton (8) | Randle (5) | United Center17,861 | 0–1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 2 | October 1 | @ Atlanta | | Davis (16) | McCoy (8) | Payton (7) | McCamish Pavilion6,619 | 0–2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 | October 5 | @ New York | | Mirotic (19) | Davis (13) | Payton (7) | Madison Square Garden17,162 | 0–3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 4 | October 10 | @ Miami | | Randle (23) | Diallo (8) | Payton (8) | American Airlines Arena19,600 | 0–4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 | October 11 | Toronto | | Davis (36) | Davis (15) | Holiday (8) | Smoothie King Center15,047 | 0–5
Regular season
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | October 17 | @ Houston | | Anthony Davis (32) | Anthony Davis (16) | Elfrid Payton (10) | Toyota Center18,055 | 1–0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | October 19 | Sacramento | | Nikola Mirotic (36) | Anthony Davis (10) | Jrue Holiday (10) | Smoothie King Center18,337 | 2–0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | October 23 | LA Clippers | | Anthony Davis (34) | Anthony Davis (13) | Jrue Holiday (9) | Smoothie King Center14,625 | 3–0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | October 26 | Brooklyn | | Jrue Holiday (26) | Anthony Davis (14) | Elfrid Payton (6) | Smoothie King Center15,272 | 4–0 |- style="background:#fcc; | 5 | October 27 | Utah | | Nikola Mirotic (25) | Nikola Mirotic (8) | Jrue Holiday (6) | Smoothie King Center16,373 | 4–1 |- style="background:#fcc; | 6 | October 29 | @ Denver | | Julius Randle (24) | Nikola Mirotic (10) | Jrue Holiday (9) | Pepsi Center15,217 | 4–2 |- style="background:#fcc; | 7 | October 31 | @ Golden State | | Jrue Holiday (28) | Davis, Mirotic (12) | Jrue Holiday (9) | Oracle Arena19,596 | 4–3
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 8 | November 1 | @ Portland | | Julius Randle (29) | Nikola Mirotic (13) | Jrue Holiday (10) | Moda Center18,921 | 4–4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 9 | November 3 | @ San Antonio | | Jrue Holiday (29) | Nikola Mirotic (16) | Jrue Holiday (8) | AT&T Center18,354 | 4–5 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 10 | November 5 | @ Oklahoma City | | Julius Randle (26) | Nikola Mirotic (16) | Jrue Holiday (14) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 4–6 |- style="background:#cfc; | 11 | November 7 | Chicago | | Anthony Davis (32) | Davis, Mirotic (15) | Jrue Holiday (9) | Smoothie King Center15,514 | 5–6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 12 | November 10 | Phoenix | | Anthony Davis (26) | Julius Randle (16) | Jrue Holiday (9) | Smoothie King Center15,222 | 6–6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 13 | November 12 | @ Toronto | | E'Twaun Moore (30) | Anthony Davis (20) | Jrue Holiday (14) | Scotiabank Arena19,800 | 7–6 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 14 | November 14 | @ Minnesota | | E'Twaun Moore (31) | Anthony Davis (11) | Jrue Holiday (10) | Target Center11,636 | 7–7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 15 | November 16 | New York | | Anthony Davis (43) | Anthony Davis (17) | Jrue Holiday (10) | Smoothie King Center14,717 | 8–7 |- style="background:#cfc" | 16 | November 17 | Denver | | Anthony Davis (40) | Randle, Mirotic (10) | Jrue Holiday, Davis (8) | Smoothie King Center15,408 | 9–7 |-style="background:#cfc" | 17 | November 19 | San Antonio | | Anthony Davis (29) | Julius Randle (14) | Julius Randle (10) | Smoothie King Center14,675 | 10–7 |-style="background:#fcc | 18 | November 21 | @ Philadelphia | | Holiday, Moore (30) | Anthony Davis (16) | Jrue Holiday (10) | Wells Fargo Center20,352 | 10–8 |-style="background:#fcc | 19 | November 23 | @ New York | | Anthony Davis (33) | Anthony Davis (12) | Jrue Holiday (8) | Madison Square Garden18,948 | 10–9 |-style="background:#fcc | 20 | November 24 | @ Washington | | Julius Randle (29) | Julius Randle (15) | Jrue Holiday (9) | Capital One Arena15,165 | 10–10 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 21 | November 26 | Boston | | Anthony Davis (27) | Anthony Davis (16) | Jrue Holiday (7) | Smoothie King Center15,189 | 10–11 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 22 | November 28 | Washington | | Jrue Holiday (29) | Anthony Davis (15) | Tim Frazier (12) | Smoothie King Center13,570 | 11–11 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 23 | November 30 | @ Miami | | Anthony Davis (41) | Julius Randle (10) | Tim Frazier (9) | AmericanAirlines Arena19,600 | 11–12
|- style="background:#cfc | 24 | December 2 | @ Charlotte | | Anthony Davis (36) | Anthony Davis (19) | Tim Frazier (9) | Spectrum Center15,336 | 12–12 |- style="background:#fcc | 25 | December 3 | LA Clippers | | Julius Randle (37) | Anthony Davis (13) | Jrue Holiday (14) | Smoothie King Center13,822 | 12–13 |- style="background:#cfc | 26 | December 5 | Dallas | | Davis, Randle (27) | Julius Randle (18) | Anthony Davis (9) | Smoothie King Center14,810 | 13–13 |- style="background:#fcc | 27 | December 7 | Memphis | | Julius Randle (26) | Julius Randle (13) | Jrue Holiday (11) | Smoothie King Center18,447 | 13–14 |- style="background:#cfc | 28 | December 9 | @ Detroit | | Jrue Holiday (37) | Anthony Davis (9) | Tim Frazier (8) | Little Caesars Arena14,705 | 14–14 |- style="background:#fcc | 29 | December 10 | @ Boston | | Anthony Davis (41) | Julius Randle (11) | Jrue Holiday (10) | TD Garden18,624 | 14–15 |- style="background:#cfc | 30 | December 12 | Oklahoma City | | Anthony Davis (44) | Anthony Davis (18) | Jrue Holiday (10) | Smoothie King Center14,450 | 15–15 |- style="background:#fcc | 31 | December 16 | Miami | | Anthony Davis (27) | Anthony Davis (12) | Anthony Davis (7) | Smoothie King Center15,535 | 15–16 |- style="background:#fcc | 32 | December 19 | @ Milwaukee | | Anthony Davis (27) | Anthony Davis (11) | Jrue Holiday (12) | Fiserv Forum17,341 | 15–17 |- style="background:#fcc | 33 | December 21 | @ LA Lakers | | Anthony Davis (30) | Anthony Davis (20) | Jrue Holiday (10) | Staples Center18,997 | 15–18 |- style="background:#fcc | 34 | December 23 | @ Sacramento | | Jrue Holiday (27) | Anthony Davis (17) | Tim Frazier (7) | Golden 1 Center16,643 | 15–19 |- style="background:#fcc | 35 | December 26 | @ Dallas | | Anthony Davis (32) | Anthony Davis (18) | Tim Frazier (7) | American Airlines Center16,643 | 15–20 |- style="background:#cfc | 36 | December 28 | Dallas | | Anthony Davis (48) | Anthony Davis (17) | Jrue Holiday (8) | Smoothie King Center18,364 | 16–20 |- style="background:#fcc | 37 | December 29 | Houston | | Julius Randle (23) | Davis, Randle (11) | Jrue Holiday (9) | Smoothie King Center17,555 | 16–21 |- style="background:#cfc | 38 | December 31 | Minnesota | | Julius Randle (33) | Julius Randle (11) | Jrue Holiday (9) | Smoothie King Center14,904 | 17–21
|- style="background:#fcc | 39 | January 2 | @ Brooklyn | | Anthony Davis (34) | Anthony Davis (26) | Jrue Holiday (7) | Barclays Center16,890 | 17–22 |- style="background:#cfc | 40 | January 5 | @ Cleveland | | Holiday, Randle (22) | Julius Randle (12) | Julius Randle (8) | Quicken Loans Arena19,432 | 18–22 |- style="background:#cfc | 41 | January 7 | Memphis | | Anthony Davis (36) | Anthony Davis (13) | Jrue Holiday (6) | Smoothie King Center14,624 | 19–22 |- style="background:#cfc | 42 | January 9 | Cleveland | | Anthony Davis (38) | Anthony Davis (13) | Elfrid Payton (9) | Smoothie King Center15,058 | 20–22 |- style="background:#fcc | 43 | January 12 | @ Minnesota | | Anthony Davis (30) | Anthony Davis (14) | Jrue Holiday (7) | Target Center16,384 | 20–23 |- style="background:#cfc | 44 | January 14 | @ LA Clippers | | Anthony Davis (46) | Anthony Davis (16) | Jrue Holiday (8) | Staples Center15,283 | 21–23 |- style="background:#fcc | 45 | January 16 | @ Golden State | | Anthony Davis (30) | Anthony Davis (18) | Elfrid Payton (12) | Oracle Arena19,596 | 21–24 |- style="background:#fcc | 46 | January 18 | @ Portland | | Anthony Davis (27) | Julius Randle (9) | Jrue Holiday (6) | Moda Center19,598 | 21–25 |- style="background:#cfc | 47 | January 21 | @ Memphis | | Jrue Holiday (21) | Julius Randle (12) | Jrue Holiday (6) | FedExForum17,794 | 22–25 |- style="background:#fcc | 48 | January 23 | Detroit | | Jrue Holiday (29) | Julius Randle (13) | Jrue Holiday (7) | Smoothie King Center18,181 | 22–26 |- style="background:#fcc | 49 | January 24 | @ Oklahoma City | | Jrue Holiday (22) | Jrue Holiday (9) | Jrue Holiday (13) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 22–27 |- style="background:#fcc | 50 | January 26 | San Antonio | | Jrue Holiday (29) | Jahlil Okafor (15) | Elfrid Payton (5) | Smoothie King Center17,724 | 22–28 |- style="background:#cfc | 51 | January 29 | @ Houston | | Jahlil Okafor (27) | Jahlil Okafor (12) | Tim Frazier (10) | Toyota Center18,055 | 23–28 |- style="background:#fcc | 52 | January 30 | Denver | | Jrue Holiday (22) | Okafor, Frazier, K.Williams (8) | Tim Frazier (8) | Smoothie King Center14,211 | 23–29
|- style="background:#fcc | 53 | February 2 | @ San Antonio | | Frank Jackson (25) | Diallo, K.Williams (8) | Tim Frazier (8) | AT&T Center18,354 | 23–30 |- style="background:#fcc | 54 | February 4 | Indiana | | Jahlil Okafor (25) | Cheick Diallo (14) | Jrue Holiday (9) | Smoothie King Center15,780 | 23–31 |- style="background:#cfc | 55 | February 6 | @ Chicago | | Julius Randle (31) | Cheick Diallo (9) | Jrue Holiday (11) | United Center18,116 | 24–31 |- style="background:#cfc | 56 | February 8 | Minnesota | | Anthony Davis (32) | Anthony Davis (9) | Jrue Holiday (9) | Smoothie King Center16,980 | 25–31 |- style="background:#fcc | 57 | February 9 | @ Memphis | | Julius Randle (21) | Anthony Davis (16) | Kenrich Williams (7) | FedExForum16,841 | 25–32 |- style="background:#fcc | 58 | February 12 | Orlando
| E'Twaun Moore (19) | Okafor, Williams (7) | Tim Frazier (7) | Smoothie King Center15,733 | 25–33 |- style="background:#cfc | 59 | February 14 | Oklahoma City
| Julius Randle (33) | Kenrich Williams (12) | Jrue Holiday (7) | Smoothie King Center15,686 | 26–33 |- style="background:#fcc | 60 | February 22 | @ Indiana | | Cheick Diallo (16) | Cheick Diallo (18) | Davis, Holiday, Payton, S. Johnson (4) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse16,962 | 26–34 |- style="background:#cfc | 61 | February 23 | LA Lakers | | Jrue Holiday (27) | Cheick Diallo (10) | Elfrid Payton (9) | Smoothie King Center18,626 | 27–34 |- style="background:#fcc | 62 | February 25 | Philadelphia | | Jrue Holiday (22) | Julius Randle (14) | Elfrid Payton (14) | Smoothie King Center17,194 | 27–35 |- style="background:#fcc | 63 | February 27 | @ LA Lakers | | Julius Randle (35) | Elfrid Payton (11) | Jrue Holiday (10) | Staples Center18,997 | 27–36
|- style="background:#cfc | 64 | March 1 | @ Phoenix | | Julius Randle (22) | Cheick Diallo (10)