This franchise originated as the Charlotte Hornets, an NBA expansion team that began play in North Carolina in 1988 and built a loyal following before attendance and arena disputes led owner George Shinn to relocate the club to New Orleans in 2002, where it continued under the Hornets name. Hurricane Katrina forced the team to play most of its home games in Oklahoma City during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, after which it returned to New Orleans full-time and won its only division title in 2007-08 behind All-Star point guard Chris Paul.

With the Charlotte Bobcats having taken on the Hornets' expansion identity separately, the New Orleans franchise formally rebranded as the Pelicans in 2013, shortly after drafting Anthony Davis first overall in 2012. Davis led the club to playoff appearances before being traded to the Lakers in 2019, and New Orleans subsequently built around Zion Williamson, the first overall pick that same year, reaching the play-in tournament and postseason in several subsequent seasons. Gayle Benson, who also owns the New Orleans Saints, has controlled the Pelicans since inheriting ownership from her husband Tom Benson in 2018, and the franchise entered a rebuilding period following a difficult 2024-25 season.