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Fears playing starter minutes by October gives New Orleans trade flexibility and makes De'Aaron Fox's expensive Kings look slower than expected.
7 assists
in a win over Sacramento
18th overall
in June
24 minutes
through the first four games—
12-4
in the final three minutes
The New Orleans Pelicans logged their first victory of the season behind rookie guard Jeremiah Fears, who finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in a win over Sacramento. The Kings remain winless. Fears, drafted 18th overall in June, is averaging 24 minutes through the first four games—eight minutes more than internal projections suggested for October.
New Orleans entered the year expecting a patience campaign around Zion Williamson's return from foot surgery and CJ McCollum's extended role as primary option. Fears was penciled in for spot duty behind veteran point guards. Instead, head coach Willie Green inserted him into the closing lineup against Sacramento, trusting him to run pick-and-roll in crunch time. Fears assisted on the go-ahead bucket with 1:47 remaining. The Pelicans outscored Sacramento 12-4 in the final three minutes.
The production matters because New Orleans front office bet on youth over veteran stability this summer. They declined to extend restricted free agent Jordan Hawkins and let backup point guard Kira Lewis walk without replacement. The franchise saved approximately $8 million in luxury-tax exposure by running a younger, cheaper rotation. Fears earning rotation trust this early validates the strategy and keeps the ownership group—led by Gayle Benson—out of the tax for a second consecutive season. It also creates trade optionality. McCollum, 32, is on an expiring deal worth $33.3 million. If Fears can stabilize second-unit offense by December, the Pelicans gain flexibility to move McCollum at the February deadline without cratering their backcourt.
Sacramento's drought carries different stakes. The Kings are 0-4 for the first time since 2016, the final year of their decade-long playoff absence. They invested $163 million guaranteed into De'Aaron Fox's extension last summer and added $78 million to Domantas Sabonis. The core is expensive and the timeline is now. Owner Vivek Ranadivé has historically shown patience with front-office leadership, but general manager Monte McNair is entering year four without a playoff series win. League executives note that Sacramento's 2024 and 2025 first-round picks are unprotected, owed to Atlanta as part of earlier trade maneuvering. Missing the playoffs while surrendering lottery-range draft capital would compress McNair's runway.
Fears' early-season minutes also reshape draft evaluation. He played one season at Oklahoma, where he shot 34 percent from three on low volume and showed inconsistent decision-making in half-court sets. New Orleans liked his size—6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan—and his ability to pass out of ball screens. Teams that passed on him, including Portland at 14 and Miami at 15, were betting he needed G League seasoning. Portland took Donovan Clingan, who has logged 12 minutes per game. Miami selected Kel'el Ware, currently out of the rotation. If Fears continues producing rotation-level offense, those decisions age poorly and shift how front offices value polish versus projection in future drafts.
Watch whether Green increases Fears' minutes above 28 per game by mid-November, the threshold where rookie extensions start accruing performance bonuses tied to playing time. Also track whether Sacramento makes an assistant coaching change before Thanksgiving, a typical early-season pressure valve. The Pelicans host Portland on Tuesday. The Kings face Dallas on Wednesday, another likely loss given the Mavericks' depth and Sacramento's defensive collapse—they rank 28th in points allowed per possession through four games.
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