With the NBA becoming increasingly more global. Once again, the league MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was a foreign-born star. Many of the best players in the world come from outside the United States. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and many others are the faces of a generation of international talent.
They’ve broadened the scope of the NBA and have resulted in the game becoming wildly popular around the globe. Waves of new, international talent continue to flow into the NBA led by those like Victor Wembanyama.
The increased attention has prompted the NBA to play more games overseas with two currently scheduled for the upcoming season. The first will be played on 14 January 2027 in Paris, France and the second will be played three days later on 17 January in Manchester, England. Both games will feature the San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Pelicans.
To get you ready for the game, here is a preview of both teams.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are led by the aforementioned Wembanyama, who has continued to improve over his first three seasons in the league. His scoring has improved each season, and his defense has been similarly spectacular.
Wembanyama recently took home the Defensive Player of the Year award for the first time, and it was well deserved. It’s completely possible that he racks up several of these awards in the coming years. Wembanyama finished third in MVP voting, but in these playoffs, he has further cemented himself among the best players in the world.
San Antonio have oodles of talents outside of their star player. Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox are the two starters in the backcourt. Castle, like Wembanyama, has shown growth in his second season on both ends of the court. Fox, who was acquired from the Sacramento Kings, brings veteran experience to the young Spurs roster.
Rookie Dylan Harper is another name to look out for on the Spurs. From Rutgers University, the guard has shown flashes of potential during the playoffs when Fox was nursing an injury. His continued development may be just as important as anyone’s on the Spurs (save for Wembanyama) as his true lead-guard potential would pair nicely with both Castle and Wembanyama in the future.
The Spurs currently trail the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals 3-2 after dropping Game 5. Despite the limited playoff experience on the roster San Antonio has competed well against the defending champs.
New Orleans Pelicans
Whereas the Spurs have a clear direction, the Pelicans are in flux. Jamahl Mosley was recently hired by the franchise to replace Willie Green after his stint. Mosley himself was fired earlier this month by the Orlando Magic.
The roster is a mishmash of players and skillsets with some intriguing talents but without any cohesion. There are more questions than answers with this team.
Zion Williamson is the headliner, but his status with the team is still in doubt. The rhetoric of the front office seems to suggest that he returns next year, but nothing is certain. Williamson has been plagued by injuries during his career and has struggled to live up to the hype built around his draft pick.
The player with the most value on the roster is likely Trey Murphy III. He was the leading scorer during the season and improved his efficiency while also increasing his scoring. There have occasionally been trade talks surrounding Murphy because of his versatility and what he could bring to a contending team.
New Orleans has some fascinating young roster pieces too. Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears were selected for the NBA All-Rooke Second Team after turning in good seasons. Moving forward however, the Pelicans will need to see real jumps from both to be competitive in a loaded Western Conference.
Perhaps no two players on the roster best exemplify the lack of direction better than Dejounte Murray and Jordan Poole. Neither player truly fits within the confines of the roster, and both seem as if they could be traded.
But the biggest issue is that the Pelicans don’t have their own pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. They traded away the rights to the Atlanta Hawks to select Queen in this past draft. While Queen did have moments of excellence during the season, it certainly doesn’t make the trade worth it.
The Pelicans really had no shot at reaching the playoffs this season—they finished 26-56—yet traded what ended up being the No. 8 overall pick in a very strong draft class. That pick could have been used to draft any number of intriguing prospects.
This doesn’t even consider the hypothetical scenario of how New Orleans would have played the season if they had known they had their own pick. Would they have tanked? Probably, and it would have given them a shot to draft one of the crown jewels of the draft.
