After taking a huge step back this season, in which the New Orleans Pelicans only managed to win 21 games, this franchise has a few big questions to answer heading into the offseason. As the Pelicans attempt to decide what is going to be best for this franchise moving forward, we'll explore three franchise-changing trade scenarios that New Orleans must be willing to pursue heading into the NBA Draft night.
None of these potential trade triggers would be easy, but they would all offer a pathway toward hope in the future. More than anything, that's what the Pelicans are desperately looking for heading into the offseason - a better hope for tomorrow. The first trade scenario that the PElicans should be open to revolves around trading a key veteran piece.
Trading C.J. McCollum
With the way the roster looks at the moment, the Pelicans are guaranteed to have at least one 30-year-old on the team heading into next season, that's C.J. McCollum. However, there's an argument that could be made that it's time to move past the McCollum experiment in New Orleans.
For the past three years, McCollum has arguably been the most consistent contributor on the team. Even though the Pelicans haven't had the success that they probably would've liked, it's hard to blame much of that disappointment on McCollum. He's been a pretty reliable player on one of the most inconsistent teams over the past couple of seasons.
With just one year remaining on his contract, it wouldn't be all that surprising if the Pelicans explore the McCollum trade market this summer. As the Pelicans continue to weigh the possibility of hitting the soft reset button, it probably makes the most sense for McCollum and the Pelicans to part ways now. If it doesn't happen via trade, it'll probably happen when his contract expires via free agency.
In what could end up being a move for the better, the Pelicans trading McCollum would open the door for a bigger opportunity for Dejounte Murray to throw and offer the chance for some of the young players to get more experience. As the NBA Draft quickly approaches, trading McCollum could be one of those franchise-changing moves that make sense for all parties involved.
A big move up the NBA Draft board
I don't think anyone would argue with the fact that the Pelicans got absolutely screwed after taking a tumble at the NBA Draft Lottery. Entering the lottery with the fourth-best odds to win the No. 1 overall pick and a 48.1 percent chance to finish with a top 4 pick, the Pelicans moved down three spots. They'll be picking seventh overall in the NBA Draft, one that you don't want to be selecting outside the top 4.
At No. 7, the Pelicans will still be able to land a good player, but not the generational talent that they may desperately need. One idea that the Pelicans should already be exploring is one to move up the draft board. I'm not sure how feasible that will end up being, but if the Pelicans can move up to No. 3 or even 4, it will dramatically alter this team's outlook heading into the future.
No matter which direction the Pelicans may want to build, it's hard to imagine a scenario where whoever they pick with the No. 7 overall pick in this draft class will have a huge impact on this team anytime soon. That's not a knock on any prospects that are slated to be selected in that range; that's generally the reality of the NBA Draft.
If the Pelicans want to tangibly alter the direction and culture of their franchise, they may need to make an increasingly bold move at the NBA Draft. Figuring out a way to move into one of the top 4 spots could be a great way of accomplishing that.
Trading Zion Williamson
Even though the recent speculation is that the Pelicans and Zion Williamson are going to try and figure things out together, especially after he represented the team at the NBA Draft Lottery, I still believe this franchise should be open to anything and everything heading into the offseason. At the NBA Draft, the lure could be there for the Pelicans to make the biggest move of all - trading Zion.
With a new decision-maker in charge, it could prove to be difficult to envision the Pelicans making such a move. However, if they do want to pivot toward a rebuilding of the roster and move past a previous chapter for the franchise, trading Zion would be exactly how the team would be able to accomplish that.
Of course, that could be a lot easier said than done. Zion's trade value at the moment is almost impossible to predict. After the underwhelming season he just had, it would be a pretty difficult task for the front office to make the most out of this situation. However, if the right deal does come across the table, I also don't believe the Pelicans should shut it down.
New Orleans, at the very least, should be prepared for the possibility of a Zion trade on NBA Draft night. If Charlotte offered the No. 4 pick for Zion, what would the response be? It's an interesting exercise to think about, because I do believe the Pelicans would have a hard time saying no.
The Pelicans have much to think about heading into the start of the offseason. Luckily for them, they'll have to opportunity to make big changes to their roster.