​The New Orleans Pelicans closed out their 2026 Summer League run on Wednesday afternoon with a 82-77 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, falling to 2-2.The Cavaliers’ defense gave the Pelicans headaches all game long, leading to a pretty poor shooting performance as a team. New Orleans, in total, finished with 36/20/71 shooting splits as a team.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementChris Bell probably had the best individual performance for the Pelicans. He finished with 12 points on an efficient 4-for-7 from the field. There was a great sequence where he hit a three, got a steal on the other end and then finished it off with a dunk. That’s the type of sequence that will catch the attention of the coaching staff.Malik Dia entered with a lot to gain from this game with an increased involvement, but couldn’t really find his shot. He went 3-for-11 from the field but did grab five rebounds.Markquis Nowell was also inefficient on a high volume (2-for-11 from deep), but he also still showed a solid grasp of running the offense with a longer range than one would expect given his height. He drew some fouls late that made it a little bit closer of a game.It’s also important to note who didn’t play in this game: Hunter Dickinson, Jaron Pierre Jr., Kobe Bufkin and Jalon Moore. Usually by the end of Summer League, teams sit those who they don’t really need to see any more of. Those three fit the mark for different reasons.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDickinson already has his two-way deal for this season. That could theoretically change, but it won’t. He will be the depth option at center heading into the year.Pierre Jr. doesn’t have a deal yet, but is almost guaranteed a two-way deal since he was their draft pick. There is an open roster spot that he could take, but he seems more like a two-way candidate to allow him more minutes with the Laketown Squadron.Bufkin and Moore have less security, but also had very strong Summer League performances heading into this game. Bufkin put up 30 points in the first game and looks like a legit backup point guard, but doesn’t have a clear path to playing time in New Orleans, which could cause some confusion in keeping him.Moore tore his Achilles in the pre-draft process last year, but signed with the Pelicans and is finally healthy, and has looked strong so far. The team could be fine with keeping any combination of these three, but also gave the others more chances in this final game.