Heading into the 2025 offseason, the Pelicans' plan was unclear. Many suggested they blow it up by trading away Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, and other veteran players and commit fully to rebuilding. However, after just one press conference from Joe Dumars, it was clear they planned on making this team competitive.
One of my favorite people in the NBA world, Keith Smith of Spotrac, emptied his notebook of conversations he had with executives of every Western Conference team. In this piece, he included quotes from a Pelicans executive that detailed exactly what the front office planned for this summer. Smith quoted the Pelicans exec.
“It’s no secret our team has had a lot of trouble staying healthy. We felt like we had to have more depth. That’s what this offseason was about. Some of it came with the guys we drafted. Then we signed Kevon (Looney) for depth up front. And getting Jordan is huge. He’s always out there. And all of our intel was really positive for his impact with a really young Wizards team. We’re excited to have him. Saddiq didn’t play last year, but he’s a player we’ve liked for a long time. Again, that’s about having more depth behind some guys who have missed a lot of time,"
This quote from an unnamed Pelicans exec tells us a lot.
Most importantly, it shows that the Pelicans entered the offseason with a plan and have executed it correctly. The plan was to add depth, and not only did the Pelicans bring in more healthy bodies, but they also acquired players who are high-level winning talents.
Kevon Looney is one of the league's best screeners and rebounders; his playstyle and approach to the game are a winning combination, as evidenced by his three rings with the Golden State Warriors.
As for Jordan Poole, he's entering the prime of his career and has continued to grow as a player and leader every season. Last year, it was his shooting that improved; this season, I expect it to be his playmaking. And Saddiq Bey is the type of player that every contender wants, as he is good defensively and can space the floor.
The Pelicans' ability to make their plan a reality is encouraging
As a front office, your whole goal is to come up with a blueprint for what you want each step of the season to look like. When taking over a front office, the first order of business is to devise a plan for the offseason. After that, it's all about making that plan a reality, which is exactly what the Pelicans did.
They wanted both Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen in this year's draft; they got both Fears and Queen.
They wanted to add depth at the five, and they did by bringing a winning veteran like Looney.
They tried to find a lead guard to take the pressure off of Dejounte Murray while he recovers from injury, which the Pelicans did by trading for Jordan Poole.
They needed to add shooting and perimeter defense, and guess what? They did do that by acquiring Saddiq Bey.
The Pelicans offseason may not have been perfect in the eyes of the media and Pelicans fans. But, in the eyes of Joe Dumars and the rest of the Pels front office, this is precisely what they wanted, which is something that should give fans hope heading into the 2025-26 season.