The New Orleans Pelicans and their fans are well familiar with the concept of pain. The word can sum up the entire history of the franchise, but the past few years have especially been hurtful for the team's faithful. After losing Anthony Davis, one of the greatest players in NBA history, in a messy divorce, the Pelicans were lucky enough to land the number-one overall pick which resulted in them acquiring Zion Williamson, one the greatest prospects of all time.
Unfortunately, the Zion era has not been kind to New Orleans. The injury bug came with Big Z to the Bayou and infected the entire team in his tenure, resulting in multiple lost seasons and, ultimately, zero playoff games from Williamson through five years with the Pelicans. This 2024-25 NBA season will mark his sixth campaign without a playoff appearance.
There's still time for Zion to lead New Orleans back to the postseason and make his playoff debut, but it's not likely. The team is open to tearing it down and has reportedly been shopping their veteran stars including Williamson. It may seem like the Pelicans are heading for another long, painful rebuild, but this next era for New Orleans could see them returning to competitive basketball sooner rather than later.
The Pelicans rebuild could be a quicker turnaround than expected
It might be scary to hear the words teardown, but New Orleans won't be starting over from scratch. They've identified a handful of young players that they want to build around, some of whom are already established success stories in the NBA. Reportedly, the Pelicans have marked Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Yves Missi, and Jordan Hawkins as untouchable assets ahead of this season's trade deadline.
Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones are already two of the best non-star wings in the entire league. TMIII is a lethal outside shooter who's been quietly expanding his offensive game. His physical stature and athleticism suggest that he has a lot more to offer on both ends of the court. The Pelicans downsizing their roster will give him more reps and opportunities to grow into his greatest potential self.
Herb Jones is already one of the most impactful defensive players in the NBA. He has the size, agility, and instincts to guard four different positions and can even handle centers on occasion. He might not have the same offensive ceiling that Murphy III has, but he too has room to grow into a more versatile threat on that end of the court. He's legitimately a great fastbreak finisher, has already shown development as an outside shooter throughout his career, and has showcased some burgeoning playmaking potential as a short-roller and a connector.
Between Herb and TMIII, the Pelicans have two wings that can play alongside any archetypes in basketball. New Orleans could wind up drafting anyone from do-it-all forward Cooper Flagg to on-ball scoring guard Dylan Harper to big man Khaman Maluach and slot them right next to Jones and Murphy III seamlessly.
Yves Missi and Jordan Hawkins give them two more versatile young players that give them plenty of options moving forward. Missi is athletic enough to play power forward if needed, especially if the Pelicans wind up with a stretch five. He can also come off of the bench as an energizer in the middle. Hawkins is perfect as a sixth man, microwave scorer or he can play off of the ball and do what he does best in the starting line-up: launch from deep. Neither of those players has the esteem to command a starting spot next year and shouldn't cause any hesitation for the Pelicans if they consider drafting someone in Missi or Hawkins's position.
Not only do the Pelicans already have a decent core of malleable young players to ease their transition into the next era, but they also have a buttload of assets to work with to increase their payload. Between Zion, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum, New Orleans should get back a litany of young prospects or draft capital to build further. Or, if they end up keeping Zion, they'll have a number one option who has proven that he's one of the most impactful players in the NBA when he's healthy. Either way, the future is brighter in New Orleans than this season so far has suggested.