The New Orleans Pelicans always seem to have the right ideas but execute them poorly. They wanted to trade up in the draft to select Derik Queen. Right idea. In the process, they gave up their own first-round pick next year, which is likely going to become a lottery selection.
Additionally, they wanted an extra first round pick in this year’s class. Right idea. In the process, they gave the Pacers their 2026 first-rounder back, which will also likely be a lottery pick with Tyrese Haliburton set to miss all of next season.
So, New Orleans has gone from having two potential lottery picks to zero in the matter of months. The West is projected to be tough once again, and while the Pelicans do have the talent to stay in the mix, health is their biggest concern once again.
Zion Williamson has a lengthy injury history, Dejounte Murray is set to miss a big chunk of the year, and both Herb Jones and Trey Murphy are coming off injury-plagued seasons.
The Pelican’s moving on from Brandon Ingram look better by the day
New Orleans did not want to offer Ingram a max extension, leading to him getting traded to Toronto last season. At the time, Ingram was sidelined with an ankle sprain, which caused him to miss the rest of the season.
The last time Ingram played over 65 games in a full season was in his rookie year almost a decade ago. Over the last three seasons, he has played 64 games, 45 games, and 18 games. He has not been durable, and committing long-term money to him as he gets closer to his 30s would have been a mistake.
In addition to that, Ingram had plateaued as a player a bit. In 2022, after an electric playoff series against the Suns where he went toe-to-toe with Devin Booker, Ingram was expected to take the leap to stardom.
Ingram is not consistent enough to be considered a core player
His counting stats have remained around the same since then, but Ingram’s ceiling was higher than what he has been producing. His last playoff run in 2024 against Oklahoma City was a rough one, as he averaged only 14 PPG as the first option, and was completely invisible in all four games.
The Pelicans received the Pacers’ first-round pick in the Ingram trade, which would have made the move look even better. Again, the decision to move on from Ingram keeps up with the theme of right idea but poor execution.
New Orleans hasn’t had many wins lately, so any small victories are meaningful. Toronto signed Ingram to a $120 million extension over the next three years, so not having that money on their books is a victory for the Pelicans.
