For weeks, fans and analysts have been trying to decipher what direction the New Orleans Pelicans would want to take their team after suffering a slew of injuries that ultimately led to a lost season. The Pels have been trying for a half-decade to get over the hump with their star duo consisting of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. This year was essentially a last hurrah for the pairing, as Ingram is in the season of his current contract and didn't have a secure future with the franchise.
Although they traded for Dejounte Murray at the top of the offseason in an attempt to go all in on this core, injuries completely derailed any chance they had for contention this year. They're firmly at the bottom of the Western Conference standings at 5-22 a third of the way into the campaign.
They may have lost their entire season to injury, but their suffering also presented the Pelicans with a unique opportunity: a valid excuse to blow it up and reset their roster around a top draft pick this summer. This incoming class is expected to have a solid group of blue-chip prospects that project to be franchise cornerstones in the NBA, with top-tier talents like Cooper Flag, Dylan Harper, and Ace Bailey leading the way.
Despite their miserable start to the season, the Pelicans' roster still had too much talent to wind up at the top of the lottery if they played out the year. With stars like Zion, Ingram, Murray, and CJ McCollum on board, it was unlikely that New Orleans could out-tank teams like the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and Toronto Raptors, even with their injury-fueled head start. Fans who were hoping that the Pelicans would commit to a tank and a new direction for the team should be thrilled, though, as it appears that the franchise is open to a complete teardown beginning this season.
The New Orleans Pelicans could have a fire sale this year
So far this season, it was completely unknown which players the Pelicans deemed as expendable and which ones they considered a core part of their future. Even Brandon Ingram, who has seemingly been on the trading block for years, looked like he might be extending his stay in New Orleans after this campaign.
Outside of a few reports, such as executives expecting CJ McCollum to be available for the right price and teams calling to inquire about Herb Jones's obtainability, there was no telling how active the Pelicans would be before this year's trade deadline. All that just changed, though, as people in the league circles are now expecting New Orleans to be open for business this season.
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer recently reported that the Pelicans are willing to listen to offers for everyone on the roster outside of a few young prospects:
"While naturally resistant to trade inquiries for their younger gems — Herb Jones, rookie Yves Missi and Trey Murphy III — word is that the Pelicans are essentially open to trade pitches for pretty much anyone else on the roster apart from those three amid a 5-21 start and more injury woe than even Philadelphia."
Two exclusions in the shortlist instantly jump out in Zion and Jordan Hawkins. It appears that after years of having their hopes dashed due to injuries, the team is ready to give up on the Big Z experiment — at least, for a good deal that is. Jordan Hawkins was one of the few bright spots for the Pelicans this season before he too was sidelined, but it seems that Vice President David Griffin and the rest of the New Orleans brass might be weary of his back injury, enough so to make him available for trade.
With players like Zion, Ingram, Murray, McCollum, and Hawkins on the trading block, the Pels could bring in an absolute haul of young talent and future draft capital in return for their desirable veterans. We've never seen a team tear it down to that extent so quickly, so it's unlikely that every player outside of Herb, Missi, and TMIII will get traded this season. After all, league insiders aren't expecting much high-profile movement before the deadline. Still, it's good to know that the franchise is open to a multitude of deals and is committed to taking this team in a new direction.