New Orleans Pelicans: Trade, pending or core? Where each Pelican fits

New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are stars

The Core

Kira Lewis Jr.

It’s way too early to know if Kira Lewis Jr. is going to be a star in the NBA and we need to see a lot more.

There’s plenty to like so far, as he has flashed elite quickness, a good shot and the ability to set up his teammates in the short bursts he’s had this season.

He’s also on the first year of a rookie deal and 19-years-old, so there is no reason to rush. David Griffin and company obviously liked Lewis Jr. enough to take him even though they already had Lonzo, so he’s going to be here for the foreseeable future and will get his chance to be the guy at some point.

If the Pels were to make a big trade for someone like Bradley Beal, then Kira Lewis Jr. could be included but otherwise, he’ll get a chance to be part of the core.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker

A lot of people would disagree with this, but when you look at his talent, age and contract, he’s a guy that the Pels should keep around.

NAW is only a year younger than Lonzo but he is signed through 2022-23 when he’ll be making just over $5 million.

Lonzo is already making $11 million and his deal expires after this season.

NAW has flashed the ability to be a starting combo-guard in the NBA but has to be more consistent. Even if he maxes out as a bench scorer, teams still need those so he’ll be great value either way.

Steven Adams

I was tempted to put him in the “Pending” category, though I am far less concerned about his fit with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram than some.

Adams has improved this team’s defense, and though there are some questions about his fit on offense, some of those will be answered when the Pels find more than one player who can shoot 3-point shots.

The team also committed to Adams by extending him, so I can’t see them moving on from him anytime soon.

Brandon Ingram

Ingram has proven himself to be a star in this league.

Even though the Pels aren’t scoring as much as a team, Ingram has still improved his individual numbers and is slowly getting better on defense though that is still a work in progress.

Ingram is an elite scoring talent and can get buckets pretty much any way the team needs.

It’s unfortunate that the Pels’ offense has often been so stagnant and heavily reliant on Ingram isolation, as it has sometimes taken its toll late in games.

Ingram isn’t going anywhere and the Pels don’t regret that max extension one bit.

Zion Williamson

As good as Ingram has been, Zion Williamson has a chance to be a generational star. People can nit-pick the game of a 20-year-old all they want, they did it to LeBron James, they did it to Shaq and they’re already doing it to Giannis Antetokounmpo.

I prefer to focus on the fact that Zion is a guy the other team has to gameplan around, a guy who can dominate without having a play run for him, a guy who gets 24/8 without having even scraped the surface of his talent.

You can discuss Zion’s defense, shooting or passing but just keep in mind that he is 20 and those are the things that will get better with time. Right now, Zion is dominating without all of the nuances he’ll add to his game, so Pels’ fans should be excited.

This roster has some pieces but we’re still not sure how they all fit. The New Orleans Pelicans have some decisions to make soon and not all of them are easy.