The NBA offseason is here, and with the draft approaching, FortyEightMinutes is examining the critical questions for each team heading into the big night. Today, we’ll take a look at the New Orleans Pelicans.
1 – Is Lonzo Ball‘s time in New Orleans done?
Lonzo Ball will be a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the Pelicans can match any offer he receives, though, with a number of teams interested in his services, the price tag may end up being too high for New Orleans.
The Bulls, Celtics, Clippers, and Knicks are among the teams that have been linked to Ball and the Pelicans are expected to entertain sign-and-trade offers during the offseason.
Ball showed a lot of improvement this past season, averaging 14.6 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game, along with shooting a career-best 37.8% from the three-point line. Ball’s confidence started to grow and his improved shooting allowed him to gel better with the roster. Although, the long-term fit in New Orleans may not be there due to a forthcoming lucrative contract offer.
2 – Does Brandon Ingram have a long-term future with the franchise?
In recent weeks, Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson reported that the Pelicans are willing to part ways with Brandon Ingram and multiple first-round picks in exchange for a deal centered around Damian Lillard.
It would be an enticing package for the Blazers, though Portland isn’t expected to move their All-Star guard. Still, the Pelicans’ willingness to give up Ingram in such a move for an established star signals that front offices may not be entirely sold on the former Laker as the best long-term fit next to Zion Williamson.
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3 – Who will be the next Head Coach of the Pelicans?
When the Pelicans decided to part ways with Stan Van Gundy, it was very unexpected and sudden. But clearly, David Griffin and Trajan Langdon wanted to head in a different direction. The Pelicans head coaching vacancy will more than likely be answered once the Bucks and Suns NBA Finals matchup has concluded due to assistant coaches Willie Green of the Suns and Charles Lee of the Bucks believed to be two of the top candidates for the job. Jacque Vaughn was another candidate who was being considered but recently withdrew from consideration.
4 – What else can the Pelicans do to please Zion Williamson and build a contender around him?
Over the past few weeks, rumors have speculated that members of Zion’s family have sensed frustration over the Pelican’s inability to surround him with talent. Considering he has only been there two seasons (one of which was pandemic-shortened), this is uncommon. Take this with a grain of salt due to Zion never actually coming out on his own expressing frustration. Sure if they could somehow add Damian Lillard, then all of this would change.
More likely, the Pelicans won’t truly be in the market for a true superstar but as a small market team with an electric player like Williamson, they could look to the next level of free agents to beef up this roster. Let’s look at some options:
- Dennis Schroder – Schroder is reportedly seeking a $100 million deal. It seems unlikely that he gets that, but if that’s his range, it could make the Lakers think twice about re-signing him. Los Angeles sent him an offer closer to $80-85 million during the season, and he declined. The Pelicans replacing Ball with a player like Schroder would be a lovely addition that would give Zion and Ingram another serious scoring option.
- Mike Conley – The Jazz will make an all-out push to re-sign Conley this off-season. Yet, if the Pelicans want to add an experienced veteran player, Conley would be a great answer. Conley is coming off an excellent regular season but couldn’t contribute much in the postseason due to injuries. Nevertheless, Conley averaged 16.2 points and 6.0 assists per game and was a key part of Utah’s success throughout the year. Expect the Pelicans to face great competition should they enter the Conley sweepstakes this summer.
- Spencer Dinwiddie – Dinwiddie showed he can be one of the best sixth man in the league, though he had a season-ending injury last year. That’s not necessarily going to keep Dinwiddie from getting paid as he’s expecting a $100+ million deal. Assuming he returns to good health, he would add a spark off the bench with his ability to create his shot from anywhere on the floor for the Pelicans.
- Evan Fournier: It’s safe to say J.J. Redick didn’t work out in New Orleans the way people anticipated it too. But they had the right idea. Adding a proven scorer and shooter around Ingram and Zion spaces the floor and makes them very hard to guard as a unit. Yet, Redick found himself in slumps, partially due to injuries, during his short time with the Pelicans. Fournier would be an upgrade and fit nicely into his role while providing more of a scoring option for New Orleans.
5 – Should the Pelicans trade the No.10 pick for veteran help?
In our NBA Mock Draft 4.0, we have the Pelicans selecting Davion Mitchell, the two-way guard from Baylor. While Mitchell would be a perfect fit for the Pelicans and even more so if Ball departs, there’s been recent buzz that the Pelicans are expected to entertain trades that send out the No.10 overall pick for veteran help now. This is a deep draft with talent and potential, making this lottery pick even more valuable in the trade market. Leading up to this draft, it will be interesting to see how this situation develops, as the future of another star in New Orleans potentially hangs in the balance.
