For weeks, we pondered what direction the New Orleans Pelicans would take after losing their entire 2024-25 NBA season to injuries early in the campaign. All of their absences presented a silver lining: a golden opportunity to tank in a year with a highly regarded draft class featuring several blue-chip prospects that could be franchise game-changers.
While they stumbled backward into a chance at adding a potential cornerstone like Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper, this season and its injuries also presented the Pelicans with a tough choice. They could use this year's tank and subsequent lottery pick to launch a rebuild, trading away all of their major parts to help accumulate additional assets to tack onto their incoming rookie. Alternatively, they could also simply take this lost season as an opportunity to add a blue-chip prospect to their already established roster full of win-now veterans.
When New Orleans made practically their entire roster available for trade ahead of the deadline, it seemed like they were picking the first option: a near-teardown built around their incoming lottery pick. Instead, they made just two moves before February 6 — a salary dump and a Brandon Ingram trade that was inevitable. Their actions at the deadline showed that the Pelicans are still wanting to build a competitive roster around Zion Williamson, with their first-round pick this summer as their best shot at getting over the hump. They'll need a lot more than a rookie (yes, even if it's Cooper Flagg) to turn this team into a title contender. Executive Vice President David Griffin highlighted their two most pressing needs that they'll look to fill this summer at his post-trade deadline press conference.
David Griffin names the Pelicans two biggest needs for next season
The future of the New Orleans Pelicans will hinge on where they'll wind up picking in the 2025 NBA Draft. They could wind up with a human Swiss army knife forward in Cooper Flagg. They could land a polished combo guard in Dylan Harper. They could add an athletic marvel and scoring wing in Ace Bailey. The possibilities are endless and will mostly be decided by where they fall in the draft.
Regardless of what rookie they end up selecting, they'll have their work cut out for them in free agency. No matter who the Pelicans draft, they'll still have some glaring holes in the roster. David Griffin addressed this:
"We're one of the worst rebounding teams of the last 15 years in the NBA. It doesn't take a great deal for me to tell you we need to get bigger and more physical. I think that's fairly obvious. ... Our ability to make shots around ball-dominant play creators is important (as well)."
Unsurprisingly, New Orleans's biggest needs entering the 2024-25 NBA season remain their biggest needs, as they didn't correct either at the trade deadline. The Pelicans will be motivated to add some bulk to their frontline and some additional outside shooting to their roster this offseason, by way of trade or free agency. This summer's class of mercenaries should have some decent options for both needs with players like Clint Capela, Myles Turner, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Malcolm Brogdon hitting the open market. Hopefully, Griffin and the rest of the Pelicans' brass will be aggressive in filling these holes considering they'll have plenty of time to identify their favorite targets.