The New Orleans Pelicans (3-15) will face the Memphis Grizzlies (6-12) on Wednesday at Smoothie King Center, entering the NBA Cup matchup with significant injury challenges on both sides.
New Orleans will be without key players Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole, Herbert Jones, and Karlo Matkovic, while Trey Alexander remains sidelined in the G League.
Memphis is dealing with its own setbacks, as Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Javon Small are all out, with Zach Edey listed as questionable due to a migraine.
Morant leads Memphis with 17.9 points and 7.6 assists per game, while Edey averages 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
Memphis comes into the contest after a narrow win over Dallas (102-96) and a loss to Denver (115-125), attempting to stabilize a 6-12 record in a challenging season.
For New Orleans, Zion Williamson continues to carry the offense with 22.4 points per game, while Trey Murphy III contributes 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Yves Missi adds rim protection with 1.2 blocks per contest.
The Pelicans are coming off a 143-130 win against Chicago but remain one of the league’s lower-ranked teams at 3-15.
This season’s first meeting between the two clubs saw Memphis secure a 128-122 victory at home on October 22, 2025.
