The New Orleans Pelicans are in an interesting place heading into the off-season. Even though they had a somewhat disappointing end to their season, it’s hard not to look at the year as a whole and not consider it somewhat of a success.
Through 35 games into the season (on December 30), the Pelicans were tied with the Denver Nuggets for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 23-12 record. However, the Pelicans would go on to lose 15 of their next 18 games and never truly recovered.
A big part of that was Zion Williamson’s injury, which will admittedly complicate things a bit heading into the offseason. But a few improvements here and there, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Pelicans emerged as a legit dark horse contender in the Western Conference next season.
Could those improvements come via free agency? If so, let’s take a look at four free agents that could be on the Pelicans’ radar that have previous ties to the team’s starting point guard, C.J. McCollum.