The New Orleans Pelicans and their fans are all too familiar with the injury report. Dating back to the Anthony Davis era, the Pelicans faithful have grown accustomed to checking the pre-game alerts to see if their stars would be available for play. That dreadful tradition only became more imperative after the team drafted Zion Williamson.
As we draw closer to the trade deadline, the Pelicans and their followers have accepted the reality that these might be the last games they'll get to see from some of their favorite players. CJ McCollum is currently racing against the clock to try and etch his name into franchise history before he could be potentially moved.
If this proves to be Zion's last season in New Orleans, then his final campaign will reflect the bulk of his career, as he was sparsely available to his team. Earlier this year, Brandon Ingram was the last man standing for the Pelicans, as he was the only one still healthy after Zion, CJ, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones all went down with different ailments. He eventually also succumbed to the injury bug and has been out since December 7 with a high-ankle sprain. As there's a very real chance that he'll be traded before the trade deadline, there's now also a very real chance that he's already played his last game as a member of the Pelicans.
Pelicans injury report @ Toronto Raptors, January 27, 2025
Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram has been out for over seven weeks with his high-ankle sprain. His injury grade usually sidelines an NBA athlete for 4-6 weeks. We're well past the long-end of that timeline now, but there haven't been any positive updates regarding his return.
The Athletic's Will Guillory asked Head Coach Willie Green what Ingram's status was on Thursday, January 23 and was told that there was no update and BI has still yet to be cleared for contact drills. With the trade deadline just 10 days away now, it's looking like he's already played his last game for the Pelicans, lest the team opt not to trade him of course.
Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson missed Friday's clash versus the Memphis Grizzlies due to reconditioning for an illness. He was able to return against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night and hasn't been listed on the injury report ahead of their matchup with the Toronto Raptors.
Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray received x-rays on his right hand after an apparent finger injury. Thankfully, the tests came back negative and he's since been diagnosed with a pinky strain. This held him out of the Pelicans' last game against the Hornets. He's been listed as questionable against the Raptors.