Following yet another year competing in the stacked Western Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans find themselves with plenty of questions on the horizon. They have a solid roster of talent, but there is no guarantee they will be able to achieve all their goals with the group they currently have.
Zion Williamson has of course shown himself to be an incredibly talented offensive force, and building around him has allowed the Pelicans to be in the playoffs or right on the fringe of the playoffs for the last several years. But the question of Zion's health remains pressing, as he was once again sidelined while New Orleans bowed out to Oklahoma City in the postseason.
If the Pels are to reach a new level and become a true top-level contender in the West, they may do well to swing for the fences and not be afraid to pull the trigger on a few trades this coming offseason. If they do go this route, there are a few players on the roster that are more likely to be traded than the rest.
1. Dyson Daniels
One player that New Orleans has been reported to have interest in trading is Dyson Daniels. After finishing his second professional season, Dyson showed that he has potential as a defensive-minded player. However, the main problem is that most of his value remains in his potential.
As of right now, Daniels is a talented stopper that can play in a variety of lineups picking up guards and wings and shutting them down. But when the ball moves to the other end of the floor, he becomes a liability as his offense is still far from developed.
He is clearly a long-term project, and one that New Orleans may not have the luxury of being able to take their time with. If they are looking to win here and now, they could ship him out to a rebuilding team and try to get a better win-now piece in return.
2. Jonas Valanciunas
One of the Pelicans' most reliable big men, Jonas Valanciunas has anchored the frontcourt in New Orleans for the last three seasons. A physical and underrated big that rebounds exceptionally well, Jonas has been a mainstay in the Pels' starting lineup since he first arrived in town.
Valanciunas has been an excellent fit next to Zion Williamson in the frontcourt. With his ability to stretch the floor, he frees up space in the pain for Zion to do his thing while also providing a solid shooting threat from the perimeter. This past season, he was one of the few players in the NBA to play all 82 games in the season.
So why would the Pelicans think of trading him? The main reason is concerning his contract. Jonas will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. After earning a $15.4 million salary this past season and given his continued solid production, it is not hard to imagine there being a solid trade market for the big man.
With that being the case, New Orleans may do best to move on from him, but they would undoubtedly want to orchestrate a sign-and-trade to avoid losing him for nothing.
3. Brandon Ingram
For a few different reasons, Brandon Ingram will be the most popular trade target in New Orleans this offseason. He has obviously proven his value as a three-level scorer in this league, and he will be a major bargaining chip for the Pelicans in any potential negotiations.
The other biggest reason he is likely to be a frequent topic of conversation in trade talks is his performance on the court as of late. Brandon unfortunately shrunk when it mattered most late in the season, struggling mightily at times in the Pels' first-round series with the Thunder.
In particular, Ingram's eight-point, 2-for-14 shooting night on April 29 against Oklahoma City was a cause for major concern for New Orleans. With Zion Williamson out of the lineup due to injury, it was a perfect time for Brandon to step up and carry his team offensively, and he instead shrunk and missed a big opportunity.
Ingram is currently under contract for the Pels next season, and will be owed $36 million in 2024-25. That is a major financial burden to bear, and New Orleans will have to gauge the temperature on where he stands as one of their franchise cornerstones.
4. CJ McCollum
After joining New Orleans two seasons ago at the trade deadline, CJ McCollum has continually proven to be one of the Pelicans' most reliable offensive options. With his quick first step, crafty skills with the ball in his hands, and ability to get his shot off quickly against defenders of all sizes, CJ has provided stability when the team is in need of a bucket.
With that in mind, McCollum still has his downfalls. He remains a liability on defense, and can be easy for opposing teams to target in one-on-one situations. Looking at the big picture, he may or may not be who New Orleans wants in their starting lineup in the long term.
The Pels inked CJ to a two-year extension back in September 2022. That deal will kick in this summer and will keep him under contract through the 2025-26 season. Over those two years, he will be earning a yearly salary that is greater than $30 million in both seasons.
That is certainly less than ideal for a player that is frequently hard to trust at both ends of the floor. If the Pelicans prefer to continue building around Zion, they may consider moving McCollum.
5. Jordan Hawkins
The last pick of the lottery from the 2023 NBA draft, Jordan Hawkins joined the Pelicans after two seasons at UConn, where he won a national championship in 2022-23. Joining New Orleans as a rookie this past season, Hawkins actually saw a decent amount of action in his first professional season.
Of course, it was not as much playing time as many fans would have preferred, especially the ones that saw a path to him contributing from day one. But 67 games played and 10 starts is more than most rookies in the league can claim this season.
The main barrier that prevented Hawkins from playing more in his first season was his defense. He was not yet ready to contribute at the defensive end, and this led to him earning time in the G League to get more reps and find a rhythm. His shooting ability was still valuable, and he shot right around league average at 36% from beyond the arc this past season.
There is still plenty of time for Jordan to figure things out, and that makes him interesting trade fodder for teams interested in a young guard. With the Pelicans trying to win now and being less focused on development of new players, they could seek to move Hawkins.
6. Zion Williamson
This is more than likely an unexpected inclusion on this list. Zion Williamson has been the Pelicans' franchise cornerstone, and he remains the building block they hope to build a championship on. He has shown himself to be a transcendent individual talent with his brute power and scoring efficiency.
At his best, Zion is one of the top stars in the NBA. But unfortunately, we have seen him at his true best far more often than everyone would have hoped. He has suffered from nagging injury after nagging injury, and his frequent forced absences have begun to pile up for New Orleans.
Once again, Zion was unavailable at the end of this season for the Pelicans, exiting the Play-In game against the Lakers with a hamstring injury, and was not able to return before the Pels were eliminated in four games by the Thunder in round one of the playoffs.
There is of course no guarantee his presence would have ultimately changed the outcome of the series, but not even having him in the game only grew the frustration surrounding Zion's injuries. It is possible New Orleans would consider blowing everything up and starting over given recent results, and if they did, Zion would of course be the first to go.