Post Mortem #2 - New Orleans Pelicans

[Clav]

14th March, 2025

SECOND TEAM, the New Orleans Pelicans.

Time of death: March 13, 2025
Record at elimination: 18-49

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/utah-jazz/yearly

Contract summary:
Zion - has some non-guaranteed conditions on his contract, but signed Max through 27-28
McCollum - ext. eligible, 30M expiring next year
Dejounte Murray - 2 years at 32M [achilles injury this szn]
Bruce Brown - 23M expiring this season
Herb Jones - 2 years at 14M [injured this year]
Olynyk - expires NEXT season at 13M
Trey Murphy III - 3 years at 27M remain


Rookie Scale/minimums
Hawkins
Missi
Jeremiah Robinson Earl
Alvarado
Karlo Matkovic
Antonio Reeves
Boston Jr.
Mo Bamba (10-day)

TW
Keion Brooks Jr
Jamal Cain
Lester Quinones

Dead-cap - none retained NEXT season, 2M off the books this season.

25-26 Capspace - ~72M


PICKS for 2025 draft
NOLA 1st
Something weird with the MIL 1st looks like it is going to BKN currently, need a little home-team clarification here



A SMALL SEASON REVIEW:

https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans


Pelicans had a ROUGH season [to say the least] with injuries across the board on its roster for much of the critical opening months. It has been bleak from Nov-February. Zion was out for a fair bit, though to be fair, he's playing quite well now. Ingram and Dyson Daniels were traded off the roster. Dejounte Murray was acquired and is a natural playmaking fit in this roster with some nice wing pieces [and if Zion reaches peak form, it can be a dangerous team]. However unfortunately he suffered a serious Achilles injury. Also, Herb Jones has missed time and so has Murphy III for stretches. Overall, from playoff-hopefuls to Lottery-luck, nothing seemed to fall the right way, now the team hopes for a great pick in the draft. The team did find some winning success before being officially eliminated - on a current four-game win streak, and the best of the year so far. However, due to other teams at the top of the table winning they were still eliminated. Pels are actually 2-1 in OT games, and a bright spot for the team has been the emergence of rookie Yves Missi who has held some clout in the NBA Rookies Ladder for much of the season. He seems to be a solid player to have on the roster with a positive trajectory. With a lot of money off the books, Ingram off the roster, and an incoming pick in the draft, what do you think the Pels will do / how do you feel about their season to-date ?

[neno]

Their floor seems as low as their ceiling seems high
If players can start playing up to potential, draft pic included as mentioned above dangerous
Hard work and good health could cure alot of their problems

[Doctor MJ]

Honestly everything feels like a disaster in NO. Seems to me like it's time to get a new GM in there and then give that GM the opportunity to hire a new coach.

That said, it's tricky because they aren't in a position to actually rebuild.

[Johnny Tomala]

Change, change, worse, declining.

[liquidswords]

Honestly everything feels like a disaster in NO. Seems to me like it's time to get a new GM in there and then give that GM the opportunity to hire a new coach.

That said, it's tricky because they aren't in a position to actually rebuild.

They absolutely are in a position to rebuild with all that cap space and expiring contracts. They'll likely get a top 3 pick this year and they have 2 FRPs in 25, 26.

[Sofia]

In October the Pelicans will be playing the first ever NBA games in Australia against 2 Australian NBL teams. I can get free tickets, but would need to travel a few hours to get there, which I can do easily enough.

I have so little faith in this team, that I probably won’t bother going. That’s what I think of the current state of the Pelicans.

[Hugi Mancura]

Watching their roster they shouldn't be this bad. But Zion doesn't seem to stay healthy. Honestly not sure what they should do. They have pieces to build a good team for next year, but do you want to believe in Zion's health. If you don't then break the team and start it by trading Zion to who ever pays the highest price even if you lose in the trade. Only thing they shouldn't do is to stay put.

[badpotato]

This poll lacks an option for medical staff - I'd vote for change there.

[Doctor MJ]

Honestly everything feels like a disaster in NO. Seems to me like it's time to get a new GM in there and then give that GM the opportunity to hire a new coach.

That said, it's tricky because they aren't in a position to actually rebuild.

They absolutely are in a position to rebuild with all that cap space and expiring contracts. They'll likely get a top 3 pick this year and they have 2 FRPs in 25, 26.

Maybe I'm confused here. By b-r, NO was $30 mill over the cap last year and their only major expiring was Bruce Brown's $23 mill.

Re: likely a Top 3 pick this year. I believe their current chances for getting a top 3 pick are about 37%.

Regardless, it certainly will matter who they end up getting with that pick, and it might inspired the team to blow it up sooner...

but blowing it up probably won't necessarily be easy. They'll be paying the trio of Zion/Murray/Murphy $105 mill in '27-28.

[NO-KG-AI]

Coaching and medical staff change asap.

We’ve accumulated very good young talent. I think you keep building there. Murphy, Herb, Missi all look like building blocks for good modern teams. We still have a ton of pick and cap flexibility.

CJ could be moved on the last year of his deal for a better fit.

We’re kind of in a rough spot with Zion. If we trade him we won’t net a serious return. He’s so good when he plays that I think you just keep trying to build a deep and solid team and you’re a top contender when he plays, and if you get some solid stretches, who knows. Guys like that are rare. If he’s playing, he’s a bargain. If he’s hurt, he’s eating up cap space for free agents that won’t sign here anyway… lol


Murray is tough, if he comes back healthy and what he was, he’s a great fit on a great deal.

First and foremost though, we have to fix our medical issues. It’s not just Zion, we get wrecked, and everyone takes forever to come back.

[Sofia]

Who is the trainer there? I thought they picked up that magician that did wonders for the Suns in the Nash era - I think his name was Aaron Nelson?

[Marvin Martian]

Zion has to go. There is no incentive for the Pels to compete next year. If they wait for a fed up Zion to publicly demand a trade, then his value will tank and Pels won't be able to get decent value for him

[durden_tyler]

Was so excited to see the Murphy + Jones wing/forward potential, both respectable offensive players and great defensive players, so hoping they are healthy next season as they are set in the wings with those two.

[Mavrelous]

For the Pelicans to move in the right direction, they must move on from Griffin.

[Astaluego]

If you get Flagg's 1st pick and send Zion to the HORNETS for their pick, trade Herb to the highest bidder (they don't need an elite role player if they're going to retool) and start with Murphy/Missi/Flagg + Hornets Picks. Otherwise, take the best point guard available in the Draft: Harper/Jakucionis/Johnson and trade Murray so you don't start the season behind. Murray to the Jazz for JCollins (this will help the Jazz in their mission to lose and get the best player long term).

[NO-KG-AI]

Who is the trainer there? I thought they picked up that magician that did wonders for the Suns in the Nash era - I think his name was Aaron Nelson?

We did, apparently he clashed with players on “reconditioning” and how soon they could come back, etc. guys with 6 week injuries became 12 weeks, etc. it might have just been a bad fit. I think Nelson’s magic was mainly for older guys recovering from major surgery. Those guys have old bones and ligaments, but they also are smart, probably more diligent with their diet etc, and can use more rest and recovery. The Pels have a bunch of young guys that keep getting soft tissue, and other injuries that sound like stuff that happens from under use, not over use…

Tbat’s how it always feels with Zion, the best chance of keeping him in shape is playing and practicing as much as possible. Stan Van Gundy, who basically was ran out of the league for his Thibs like thoughts on player minutes and practices got 61 out of 72 games of Zion(and they shut him down with a hand injury after we were eliminated, probably would have played closer to 70 of the 72).

He had this to say, and I think it rings true:

“When I got the job, I called coach (Mike) Krzyzewski at Duke,” Van Gundy said in March. “I remember him saying to me about Zion, ‘Stan, the best way to get Zion in shape and get him ready is, he needs to play. He needs to scrimmage in practice. He needs to play in games. He needs to play.’ "

It’s difficult to stay in basketball shape when you don’t play basketball, or the team holds you out of scrimmages, 5 on 5’s etc. that goes triple for Zion.

[PlatinumState]

Imagine they get Flagg or Harper........they'd be off to the races next season with a healthy roster

[UcanUwill]

Disastrous season. Second most disappointing season behind Philly, right?

[UcanUwill]

Imagine they get Flagg or Harper........they'd be off to the races next season with a healthy roster

It feels like top prospects come to die, or at least stagnate in NO, but if we are just looking at top lottery contenders, who have potential to have a good team right away, NO has to be first, right? Second I would say would be Toronto Raptors, Raptors have pretty good pieces there, but they didnt even play together this year.

I hope NO does not win lottery just cause they won 2 just recently. I hope Raptors win it, they are my most beloved team, tho I wish Jakučionas ends up a Raptor, so Toronto probably need to drop down in draft for that to happen.

[Karate Diop]

They're hamstrung by Zion. There are some nice young pieces but they'll go as Zion goes...

Gun to my head I'd keep him as long as you're comfortable he's all there mentally. If there are still signs he's not going to take his training seriously you're better off trading him for 50 cents on the dollar...