It's undoubtedly a pretty frustrating time to be a New Orleans Pelicans fan. Injuries ravaged the team this past season, leading to a massively underwhelming campaign from start to finish. And now, the Pelicans have been putting together an altogether confusing and frustrating offseason.
The trade for Derik Queen was not a great situation, especially given his left wrist injury that required surgery. He's now set to miss the start of the 2025-26 season. Obviously, giving up the unprotected pick to acquire him stings the most.
As for Jeremiah Fears, his performance in Summer League wasn't super encouraging. The young guard had some flashes of showing off his strong handle and ability to play with physicality, but there were plenty of rough stretches as well. With time, it's likely he'll round into form, but it wasn't the most impressive debut.
Then there was New Orleans' free agency moves, the most notable of which being the three-team trade that got them Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey. Poole is a fun addition, but I'm not sure how much he's going to contribute toward winning.
The Pelicans' offseason has been a head-scratcher
Re-signing Herb Jones was a must, so accomplishing that should be seen as a win. But getting an older Kevon Looney on a two-year deal seemed like another lateral move that doesn't really move the needle much either. Overall, it's hard to really see the Pelicans' vision right now.
It's a tricky situation. And while I still think there's hope for the future, it's just a bit hard to feel optimistic about New Orleans' situation at the moment. The moves they've made this offseason so far seem more in line with a team that would be moving toward contention in the Western Conference, but it's hard to say this team has much of a shot at the playoffs next season.
The best-case scenario for the Pelicans in the next year is one where Zion Williamson stays healthy for most of the season and returns to All-Star form. He just played 70 games two seasons ago, so it's not like that's the most impossible scenario out there. But even if he does that, it's questionable whether he'll be able to carry the rest of this roster to a playoff spot.
And that's why this offseason has been such a head-scratcher. New Orleans's roster still feels like a major work in progress, and the moves the front office has made since the end of the season in April have done little to change that perception.