The New Orleans Pelicans are at a crossroads right now. They entered the 2024-25 NBA season expecting to be dark-horse title contenders, behind a surplus of upper-echelon scorers, internal growth from their young players, Zion Williamson's breakout, and their newly acquired star point guard, Dejounte Murray.
Fast forward a month and the Pelicans are nowhere near where they were hoping to be. At the time of writing, New Orleans is 4-10 and in sole possession of the 14th seed in the Western Conference. Not only are they in a deep hole in terms of record — an abyss they fell into due to a litany of injuries — but they'll remain without a large part of their core for the next few weeks too. Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Herb Jones aren't expected back until early December at the earliest. By that time, the Pelicans could very well be out of the playoff race already, considering the depth and competitiveness of the West this year.
With New Orleans more likely to land a lottery pick than make the playoffs this season, coupled with Brandon Ingram's impending free agency, the Pelicans should seriously be considering turning this lost campaign into a gap year for the team. They could hit the reset button by selling off all of their desirable and expendable pieces in return for cap relief, draft capital, and young talent.
It may seem like a major failure to restart the rebuild around Zion after six seasons. That doesn't have to be the case, however. New Orleans has quietly built one of the most promising young cores in the league, even though they're not considered a young team due to their lofty expectations, veteran presences, and top-heavy talent. Instead, the Pelicans can reset the roster around a select group of players, the ones who have earned their place as part of New Orleans's next era.
Which players should the Pelicans keep around long-term?
1. Zion Williamson
There's been rumblings that the Pelicans and Zion may need a divorce, for the benefit of both parties. That kind of talk fails to account for the fact that Big Z is still just 24 years old and that New Orleans has yet to field a roster meant to maximize his unique talents. He's played alongside Brandon Ingram for his entire career, and it's been well-established that the pairing isn't the most seamless fit.
The Pelicans owe it to Zion and themselves to try to build a new team around him, one with the supporting cast necessary to unlock his full potential.
2. Trey Murphy III
Through the years, New Orleans has added a lot of players who have been questionable fits alongside Zion: CJ McCollum, Jonas Valanciunas, Ingram, Dejounte, etc. One of the only pieces they put next to Z that made perfect sense is Trey Murphy III.
As a jumbo sharpshooter, Murphy has all of the tools to be a great complement for Zion: floor spacing, catch-and-shoot prowess, versatility, and defensive acumen. TMIII is also the same age as Williamson, putting him on the same timeline as Z moving forward and leaving him with plenty of room to grow his game, potentially into a co-star rather than just an ideal supplement.
3. Herb Jones
At first glance, Herb Jones might not seem like a great fit next to Zion due to his shooting concerns and lack of advanced offensive skills. But, digging a bit deeper will show why Jones is an important player to have to maximize a team built around a player like Z.
Firstly, Jones has already shown significant growth as a shooter, having hit nearly 42 percent from deep last season. He's still got a ways to go in terms of confidence, volume, and variety as a sniper, but the strides he's already taken suggest that he'll continue to get better. Secondly, his defensive versatility and impact can't be overstated. Having that level of defender next to Zion — a subpar defender, at best — makes it notably more feasible to build a winning team.
4. Jordan Hawkins
Jordan Hawkins coming out of college projected to be a dream fit for a player like Zion. He was expected to be an elite shooter; one that wasn't just capable of knocking down open jumpers but could launch in a split second, against tight windows, from a variety of angles and catches, and still drill his looks at a high level. He showed glimpses of that kind of outside shooting in his rookie year.
This season, he's fully emerged as one of the most lethal deep threats in the entire league. He's currently nailing 37 percent of his triples on nearly seven attempts per game, and he's getting those three-balls in many different ways: pull-ups, movement catches, dribble handoffs, etc.
Not only has his shooting touch blossomed, but he's also shown growth in other areas as well. He's a much-improved ball-handler, addressing a clear weakness from his freshman campaign. He's been confident as a slasher, playmaker, and on-ball scorer, proving to be much more than just a shooter. He's earned a place as a cornerstone for this team regardless of what direction they go moving forward.
5. Yves Missi
Yves Missi was given a tremendous amount of expectations and pressure this season, especially for a late first-round pick who was one of the younger players in the draft. He was essentially tasked with becoming a high-level rotation piece for a team with playoff aspirations from day one.
Despite the lofty demands thrust upon him, Missi has impressed in his rookie year, shining as one of the few bright spots for the Pelicans in this season from hell. From the jump, he's been able to showcase his elite athleticism in productive ways: blocking nearly every shot in his vicinity and throwing down dunks with power that New Orleans hasn't seen since Zion's early days in the NBA. He's also proven to be much more advanced on both ends of the court than initially expected. He might never be a perfect fit next to Zion — until one of them becomes an acceptable three-point shooter — but he has the tools and talent to overcome those challenges and be an important piece for the Pelicans' future.
6. Brandon Boston Jr.
Brandon Boston Jr. wasn't supposed to be part of the Pelicans' plans this season, let alone a key piece of their future. He was signed to a two-way deal off of the waiver wire after New Orleans's rotation was decimated by injuries. He wasted no time capitalizing on his opportunity and winning the hearts of the Pels' coaching staff and their fans.
It took a couple of games for him to earn Head Coach Willie Green's trust, but, once he started to get playing time, he quickly showed that he belonged in the NBA and on this team.
In the seven games he's started this year, Boston Jr. has averaged 15.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while shooting 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from deep. He's been one of the best playmakers on the team with all of their absences and has established himself as a legitimate three-level scoring threat, one that can operate both on and off the ball. That skillset from a 22-year-old, 6'6" wing is exactly the type of player that New Orleans needs to add next to Zion.