At 17-46, the New Orleans Pelicans don't have much left to play for in the 2024-25 NBA season. Their playoff aspirations were obviously dashed well earlier in the year. Zion Williamson might be having a spectacular individual campaign, but he won't be eligible for any kind of hardware since he'll finish well below the 65-games played threshold required for the league's most prestigious awards.
Trey Murphy III is technically still eligible, as he's appeared in 47 games so far this season with the Pelicans having 19 games left on the docket. His play has been more than deserving of consideration for the NBA's Most Improved Player designation, but, so far, he hasn't been recognized as a serious candidate. Whether it's because he's so close to falling out of the 65-game prerequisite or a product of the Pelicans' lost season, it's a shame that Murphy III isn't getting the recognition he deserves for his breakout year.
Between how New Orleans is being perceived and their goals for the remainder of the season, it's hard to blame anyone for wanting to look ahead of these remaining 19 games and focus on the upcoming offseason instead. After all, this summer could end up featuring several "canon events" that drastically swing the fate of this franchise. A former New Orleans legend has been looking ahead to the 2025 NBA Draft, but his thoughts won't be popular among the Pelicans' faithful.
Demarcus Cousins warns Duke prospect Cooper Flagg against joining the Pelicans
Drafts are one of the most exciting parts of professional sports. They represent the culmination of the tireless efforts from young prospects hoping to live out their dream of making the big leagues and getting drafted marks the exact moment that they complete that seemingly impossible goal.
For 99.9 percent of athletes, getting drafted at all would fulfilling their wildest dreams. There have been a select few prospects in sports history that have not only been able to assume their draft position as a foregone conclusion, but have even influenced where they got drafted. Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers immediately come to mind as draftees who directly affected where they ultimately ended up.
A former star for the Pelicans has recently urged Duke freshman Cooper Flagg to pull some strings in this upcoming draft, specifically to avoid landing in New Orleans. Speaking on FanDuel TV's Run It Back show, DeMarcus Cousins had this to say to Flagg:
"Cooper Flagg, go back to Duke or the [Utah] Jazz, brother... [With the] Pelicans, you'll get lost in the sauce with the Saints."
Cousins only spent a season-and-a-half in New Orleans, but he hasn't been shy about sharing his disdain for his time in the Bayou. Regarding the Saints, Cousins is referring to the commonly retread critique that the Benson family, who own both the New Orleans Saints and the Pelicans, are far more concerned with the success of their NFL franchise than their NBA one.
This isn't exactly groundbreaking news. Pundits have repeatedly trashed the Pelicans so often that it's become cliche, and Cousins's specific point of contention is especially worn out. Still, it's not exactly a great look to have one of the more talented and visible players in the franchise's history publicly deriding the team like this. If Cooper Flagg does end up in New Orleans, it won't be long before the NBA media drums up speculation about him eventually leaving. It happened to Zion and it's bound to happen to any Pelicans star.