There have been a lot of questions surrounding the New Orleans Pelicans and what their future is going to look like after this year. After they lost their entire 2024-25 NBA season to early injuries, the entire franchise was thrown into flux and their short and long-term plans were completely derailed.
After a half-decade of disappointing shortcomings, the Pelicans finally broke up the Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram pairing this year, trading BI to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown Jr., a 2026 top-four protected first-round pick from the Indiana Pacers, and a second-round selection in 2031. While that was a clear step forward, it didn't give much indication into how New Orleans was approaching their future aside from the confirmation that Ingram wouldn't be a part of it.
This season has been an overall disaster for the Pelicans, but it did give the organization something they haven't had in a long time: options. Moving forward, they could continue to build around Zion, pivot towards newly established star Trey Murphy III, or reset the roster around their 2025 lottery pick that will hopefully land somewhere in the top four. Many hoped that New Orleans would pick a more concrete direction at the trade deadline, but the team seemingly opted to push off those big decisions until the offseason. A report recently came out that does give some insight into the Pelicans' priorities for the future though.
The New Orleans Pelicans have chosen their wings of the future
According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the Pelicans had the chance to accept a different package from the Toronto Raptors in return for Brandon Ingram. Ultimately, New Orleans pulled the trigger on the deal that brought them two veterans contracts along with some draft capital, but they turned down an opportunity to completely shake up their franchise.
Per Scotto, the Raptors offered to trade RJ Barrett to New Orleans, but the Pels preferred to acquire Olynyk and Brown Jr.'s expiring contract, as they already had their wings of the future in place:
"With Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones already on the wing, the Pelicans didn’t view Barrett as a suitable fit for their roster as talks would have necessitated finding a third team, sources said."
This corroborates the report we got earlier in the year that stated Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones were two of the players that New Orleans viewed as untouchable, along with rookie phenom Yves Missi and second-year sharpshooter Jordan Hawkins. If this is true, we can surmise that the Pelicans are happy with the combination of TMIII and Herb on the flanks, and they won't likely take a wing with their 2025 lottery pick. This is significant considering that two of the top prospects in the class, Ace Bailey and VJ Edgecomb, are expected to be wings in the NBA.
Another important detail is that Barrett was a teammate of Zion's at Duke University where the two grew a tight bond with one another. I'm dying to know if Executive Vice President David Griffin and the rest of the Pelicans' brass consulted with Williamson about the opportunity they had to trade for his former running mate and, if so, what his reaction was. If they didn't confer with him at all, it could be a further sign that Zion's future in New Orleans is on precarious standing.