The New Orleans Pelicans have undeniably been one of the worst teams in the NBA. Suffering through a slew of injuries to practically their entire core, they've limped into a 4-13 record, residing at the bottom of a stacked Western Conference. Considering their expectations coming into the year, they're arguably the biggest disappointment in the league, with any hope of them being a contender practically evaporated.
There's been little good news to come out of the franchise, aside from uncovering a few gems in Brandon Boston Jr. and Antonio Reeves purely out of necessity due to their decimated roster. The bad news continues to roll in, though, as Zion Williamson's injury update suggests that they could be without their franchise star for even longer than his initial 4-6 week timeline for a strained hamstring.
The Pelicans may very well be out of the playoff race before even hitting the quarter mark of the season. They could choose to take advantage of their poor start and tank in pursuit of a high lottery pick, or they could be forced into it by mounting injuries and this abysmal start. That shouldn't dissuade Vice President David Griffin and the rest of New Orleans's brass from trying to improve this roster though. This team was never a finished product, with their extremely shaky center rotation and Brandon Ingram's looming free agency, and they'd be wise to take advantage of any opportunities that present themselves, regardless of their current place in the standings. One fortuitous prospect may have just popped up for the Pelicans by way of the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Pelicans can capitalize on the Donte DiVincenzo situation with a three-team trade
According to ClutchPoints's Brett Siegel, Donte DiVincenzo could be on the move again soon after coming to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of their Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle trade with the New York Knicks:
"Donte DiVincenzo is being viewed as a possible trade candidate for several contending teams around the league, sources said. While the Timberwolves value DiVincenzo's skillset, the 27-year-old combo guard was not thrilled with the idea of coming off the bench after being traded. For a second apron team like Minnesota, moving DiVincenzo could help create a little bit of flexibility and a path to moving out of the second apron next offseason."
While Siegel goes on to mention that Minnesota doesn't have any plans to deal DiVincenzo away at the moment, it's definitely a situation worth monitoring, especially with how poorly he's played since arriving in the Twin City. He's currently averaging just 9.5 points on 35 percent shooting from the field and 32 percent from deep on just under 26 minutes per game. He's yet to start a game for the Timberwolves. If it does reach a breaking point between him and his new team, the New Orleans Pelicans should jump at the opportunity with this deal:
DiVincenzo's having a terrible year, but he'd still be a fantastic addition to this team. He's a spunky perimeter defender and a truly incendiary shooter when he's on. His combination of aggressiveness, volume, and usual accuracy would be a huge boon to the Pelicans' perimeter attack and would make him a perfect wing alongside Zion Williamson.
He's not exactly a growing prospect anymore, but he's still young enough to fit with this New Orleans team no matter what direction they pick aside from a complete teardown. He's also playing on one of the most team-friendly contracts in the entire league, signed through the 2026-27 NBA season while making just under $12 million a year.
Losing Herb Jones hurts, but his lack of outside marksmanship will always make him an awkward fit next to Zion. Getting two future first-round picks helps to mitigate that loss while the Pelicans also swap him for a much better complement in DiVincenzo.