Pelicans players may be preparing for a complete teardown in New Orleans

The 2024-25 NBA season obviously hasn't gone the way that the New Orleans Pelicans have hoped. The campaign is still young, but the hole they've found themselves in may turn out to be too steep of an obstacle for them to overcome. The Western Conference is ridiculously stacked this year, and the Pelicans are incredibly far behind the ball.

Nearly a quarter of the way through the season, New Orleans sits on the floor of the West at just 4-13. They entered the year with high hopes, trading for Dejounte Murray at the top of the offseason to try to build on their playoff appearance in 2023. But, due to a flurry of serious injuries to practically their entire core, the Pelicans playoff hopes may have already been dashed.

This year marks the sixth in the Zion Williamson era and it looks like it'll end in disappointment, something that's become commonplace in New Orleans ever since they drafted Big Z. The franchise should be leaning towards taking a gap year to help retool for the future, but they may need to consider blowing it up altogether. It appears that some of the Pelicans players may be bracing for it, if not planning to initiate a total teardown themselves.

Are the Pelicans headed for nuclear fallout?

Earlier this week, The Athletic's Will Guillory reported that Zion Williamson fired his agent, Austin Brown, and parted ways with Creative Arts Agency (CAA). This was particularly interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, CAA is one of the most prolific agencies in professional sports and represents a huge number of players in the NBA. Secondly, Zion is currently on year two of a five-year deal, meaning that he shouldn't have any concerns about his next league contract anytime soon.

Then, just days later, Brandon Ingram decided to follow suit, separating from his representation, Excel Sports. The change at this time makes much more sense for BI than it did for Big Z, as Ingram is currently in a contract year and seeking a massive $200 million extension that the Pelicans have been unwilling to give him so far.

Ingram could simply be looking for a new agent to help him land the deal he's wanting, but the timing alongside Zion's move is curious. It was also reported that Williamson made his decision in part because of his former agent's failure to get him to the New York Knicks.

With how tragic the Pelicans season has been so far, it's impossible not to wonder whether they're headed for a complete overhaul. Now, with two of their star players making major business moves that could affect their careers, it seems even more likely that something big is coming. Perhaps both Zion and Ingram are looking for new agents to help find them trades to new homes.