The New Orleans Pelicans haven't had much to celebrate this season. They came into the 2024-25 NBA campaign with legitimate title hopes after trading for All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray but had their championship aspirations quickly dashed by injuries that ravaged the entire roster.
It began in the offseason with Trey Murphy III straining his hamstring in the very first day of training camp. Then, their new prized point guard Dejounte fractured his left hand in his very first game with the Pelicans. From there, the injuries started to snowball and the losses piled up.
Quickly, it became too much for the team to overcome, as practically the entire core missed extended time with various injuries. Now, the Pelicans are 5-28 and are headed for a rebuild. New Orleans may have found a direction for the future, but they still have over half a campaign left to play. They'll have to find a way to keep fans engaged during this lost season in which they have a playoff roster but the record of a lottery team. Thankfully, they already have a few young players showcasing glimmers of hope, including reclamation project, Brandon Boston Jr.
The New Orleans Pelicans will need to do some maneuvering to keep Brandon Boston Jr.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the Pelicans had a few young prospects that they had deemed untouchable for this season, with everyone else available in trades. That shortlist included Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, rookie phenom center Yves Missi, and Jordan Hawkins.
Apparently, there's another rising player that the Pelicans want to keep around for the foreseeable future: Brandon Boston Jr. The Pelicans originally picked up Boston Jr. off of the waiver wire with a 10-day contract as a stop-gap option amid all of their injuries, but he quickly earned a two-way deal from New Orleans with his performance.
Now, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the team is trying to find a way to convert him into a standard NBA contract. They technically already have the ability to do so, as they have an open standard roster spot with only 14 players signed, however, they're in danger of entering the luxury tax threshold. The Pelicans franchise has prided itself on never paying the luxury tax and probably won't want to end their streak for a lottery-bound lost season.
In order to duck the tax and give themselves enough room to sign Brandon Boston Jr. to a standard deal, the Pelicans will be looking to offload one of their minimum contract players according to Scotto. New Orleans has a handful of players making around the minimum this season: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Daniel Theis, Javonte Green, Jose Alvarado, Karlo Matkovic, and Antonio Reeves. Dumping any of these players to a team with salary cap should give the Pelicans the flexibility needed to sign Boston Jr. to a multiyear standard deal without paying the luxury tax. The question now is, which player will it be?