The New Orleans Pelicans were the only team in the NBA Draft Lottery that made the playoffs this season, a rare position to be in, as they will get to add elite talent to a team that is already good.
The Pelicans are also getting Zion Williamson back, so there is a chance they will be contenders without making any additional roster moves. New Orleans already has 14 players under contract for next season and when you look at their depth chart, do not have a glaring positional need.
With a good mix of young and veteran talent with another top-10 draft pick on the way, the Pelicans are set up to contend now and into the foreseeable future.
But they have the contracts and assets to make a splashy move that could push them into title contention next season. So should they go for it or stay patient?
New Orleans Pelicans: The argument for patience
There are few teams in the NBA with the Pelicans’ roster stability, and they have the kind of balanced roster age-wise that most teams are looking for.
They are going to extend Zion Williamson this summer, so the roster is about to have four guys on max or near max deals, which means they need to keep a steady stream of cheap talent in the pipeline.
Yes, they could trade their pick and a few contracts for a better guy, but that could potentially strain the team’s future financial flexibility.
The Pelicans took the best regular season team in the NBA to six games and gave them problems, so they aren’t far away from competition for a title now, especially after Zion returns.
There is no reason to go for it now, as they may be able to get there without making a splashy move, which would leave them better off financially for the future.
The argument for a “win now” mentality for the New Orleans Pelicans
Championship windows open and close quickly in the NBA, ask the OKC Thunder, who once had three future MVP’s in their starting five and went from title contender to cellar dweller in two seasons.
They haven’t sniffed the playoffs since.
The argument for going for it now comes down to the availability of Zion Williamson. He is a generational talent when healthy but are you really counting on that? How about three years from now? Five?
The Pelicans may have a short window of opportunity with the Williamson/Brandon Ingram pairing when you consider their injury histories.
Also, the Pelicans have veterans CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas under contract for two more seasons. This could be the last chance for New Orleans to have two veterans like this while their young stars are still relatively cheap. Guys like Herbert Jones and Jaxson Hayes won’t be making relatively low amounts forever.
There is no guarantee that McCollum and Valanciunas will be in New Orleans past their current deals, which means the Pelicans would need to replace them with guys in the draft, free agency or trades. Those are all risks, especially when you consider the consistency of CJ and Jonas.
The New Orleans Pelicans are in the sweet spot where not all of their young players are on their second contracts yet, which allows them the luxury of having veterans like CJ on max deals.
Because of health and the short time they have with CJ and Jonas, the Pelicans should use their young contracts and assets to make a bold move for a star.
But who would they target?
Trade targets for the New Orleans Pelicans
When you factor in the contracts of Jaxson Hayes, Devonte’ Graham and Garrett Temple along with the big pile of future draft picks the New Orleans Pelicans have, they could put together a package for a veteran upgrade or even a star player.
I’ve mentioned someone like Jerami Grant as a possibility, as he could almost certainly be had for Graham, Temple and that 8th pick, which would not only clear a roster spot but would give the Pelicans some future cap space to work with if they didn’t extend him.
There is the next tier of guys like Harrison Barnes from the Kings, Kevin Huerter from the Hawks or Duncan Robinson from the Heat, who the Pels could probably get without giving up their 8th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
If the Pelicans wanted to go for a star, it’s possible they could pry Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Thunder for a big pile of draft picks. Will the Wizards finally move Bradley Beal?
If they were looking for veteran help, Kevin Love is probably available from the Cavaliers or Malcolm Brogdon from the Pacers.
There are guys available who could potentially push the New Orleans Pelicans over the top if they wanted to use some or all of their trade assets.
What do you think? Should the Pelicans just stay the course and hope Zion stays healthy or should they go for it now while they have the chance?