Chris Paul stands alone as the best assist-man in Pelicans history.
Some of the great modern-day passers have distributed the ball for the Pelicans since their inception in 2002-03. Chris Paul is head-and-shoulders above the rest when it comes to assists as CP3 is among the league’s all-time greats in that regard. Read on to see more about Paul and the other great ball distributors who have played for the Pels franchise.
1. Chris Paul – 4,228 Assists
Paul has starred for several organizations during his storied career and though he has not been with this franchise since the 2011-12 season, his accomplishments still stand the test of time. CP3 ranks third all-time in assists and has a real shot at moving into second place by the time he hangs up his sneakers, passing Jason Kidd. Paul had some unbelievable games while with New Orleans when it comes to assists; on three separate occasions, Paul dropped 20 or more dimes in a game.
2. Jrue Holiday – 2,833 Assists
Holiday is another current-day player who is no longer with the Pels but left an indelible mark during his time in New Orleans. The Jruth was with the Pelicans from 2014 to 2020 and dished out an average of 6.8 assists per game in that span. Holiday isn’t one-dimensional, though. He can fill it up (16.1 PPG in his career) and has been named to NBA All-Defensive teams six times. Holiday has won two titles in his career, most recently with the Celtics in 2024.
3. Brandon Ingram – 1,580 Assists
Ingram made his mark in New Orleans after being acquired in 2019. B.I. averaged 5.2 assists per game during his time in the Big Easy, in addition to being a solid rebounder (5.5 RPG) and dangerous scorer (23.0 PPG), setting up his teammates and helping the team to the Playoffs in 2022 and 2024.
4. Tyreke Evans – 1,139 Assists
Evans spent over four seasons in New Orleans and filled a variety of roles both as a starter and as a sparkplug off the bench. He had his best years in terms of assists while with the Pelicans, averaging 6.6 assists per game in back-to-back years from 2014 to 2016. He was also a strong defender that would chip in more than one steal per game on average.
5. CJ McCollum – 1,113 Assists
McCollum was a featured playmaker and scorer for the Pelicans after coming over from the Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season. He averaged more than 20+ PPG and 3.8+ AST in each of his three-plus seasons in New Orleans, sparking the team as one of its lead guards, before being dealt to the Washington Wizards.
More Pelicans All-Time Assists Leaders
- Greivis Vásquez – 1,063 Assists
- David West (1,042 Assists)
- Anthony Davis (982 Assists)
- Baron Davis (950 Assists)
- CJ McCollum (886 Assists)
- Zion Williamson (761 Assists)
