New Orleans Pelicans: 3 storylines to follow in the 2nd half of the season

The New Orleans Pelicans have not met the lofty expectations that many had for them coming into this season.

Even though they are being led by very young players including Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, the addition of Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe had some believing this team could be a playoff contender.

They still have time to turn things around, but the New Orleans Pelicans currently look much more like a contender for the lottery than the playoffs.

With the trade deadline approaching, the Pels will have some tough decisions to make on guys like Ball, JJ Redick and Bledsoe, although the latter two are far more likely to be traded.

There are a lot of questions heading into the second half of the season and interesting stories that are going to dominate the narratives moving forward.

New Orleans Pelicans: Will the Pels be buyers or sellers at the deadline?

With only a few weeks remaining before the trade deadline, the Pels have to decide if they are going to be buyers, sellers or neither.

It’s starting to look like they will not be buyers, as they are not one or two players away from being competitive in the Western Conference. Unless they find a deal for a guy who fits their future plans, the Pels are fare more likely to be sellers.

But what they do will give us a good indication of the future, especially when it comes to Lonzo Ball. If the Pels don’t trade Lonzo (which seems unlikely at this point) then it is an indication that they will try to re-sign him in the offseason.

This would require moving on from Redick and trading Bledsoe for a expiring contract, possibly before the deadline.

The New Orleans Pelicans are not likely to make a move with this year’s playoffs in mind, so what they do with their veteran guards will be with one eye on the future.