The New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in an unenviable position at this moment in time. They have a superstar in Zion Williamson who is apparently already disgruntled, and a second All-Star in Brandon Ingram who should feel that he is capable of being the best player on his own team.
As good as both guys are, it doesn’t look like a combo that will lead to winning in the long term. That’s far from the only issue for this organization right now, however. Their roster is far from full of players capable of pushing the Pelicans up the standings in the always competitive Western Conference.
The New Orleans Pelicans are suddenly on the clock to keep Zion Williamson happy, and the returning Josh Hart will be important moving forward.
The Pelicans brought Hart back on a three-year, $38 million deal this summer. One that certainly seemed fair, particularly for the franchise, and which leaned even more in their favor with news that only $12 million of that new deal is guaranteed. Looking at the other players currently on the team, and it is a worry where any production comes from outside of Williamson and Ingram.
Lonzo Ball is no longer around, and his absence is going to be felt once the regular season really kicks into gear. He has his detractors but is an excellent defender, passer and ever-improving 3-point shooter. In other words, an ideal partner for Williamson and Ingram.
Devonte’ Graham has been brought in instead, and while he’s had some moments with the Charlotte Hornets, it does not guarantee success. You could argue, probably rightly, that it guarantees less than Ball would have. This brings us back to Hart.
He is the one player on the roster, other than Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who the organization has always seemed high on and is capable of real growth from within. Especially as a backcourt player on a roster that is not deep in that area at this moment. He is only 26 and is capable of doing a little bit of everything.
If any player is able to step into the void left by Ball, from a talent standpoint at least, it is Hart. That is not the whole story though, as crucially Hart has now become the best trade asset that the Pelicans have. No matter what direction they decide to go in, he is the player who other teams could certainly talk themselves into, even if they are at various stages in their own trajectories.
For contenders, they could offer picks or young players of their own for Hart. This would likely signal a shift to a small rebuild for the Pelicans if this were to happen, and the money Hart is on makes this possible as well. Contenders are usually working around the fringes of their cap in order to improve, especially mid-season, but Hart’s deal is such an easy one to absorb that it wouldn’t be an issue for most other franchises.
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If Hart shows some promise early in the year, then teams with intriguing players of their own will pick up the phone. The Orlando Magic, for example, now that they look like they have a real player in Jalen Suggs, might decide to accelerate their own rebuild. They also have plenty of backcourt depth and could be willing to give some up to get a more established player like Hart.
This is only one example, but given the age and potential that Hart could still reach, he fits in the timeline of plenty of organizations. Either contenders like the Denver Nuggets who are close to winning it all, or up and comers like the Magic. This is massive for a Pelicans franchise that is looking worryingly stuck and at the mercy of Williamson right now.
You can bet that as Williamson becomes closer to closing out his rookie deal, that the Pelicans will make some panic moves to show him that his next deal with them will lead to more success. Or perhaps Williamson will become the first rookie of such high prestige in history to walk away from a massive heap of guaranteed money, in order to escape the ineptitude of the front office.
Even if that means Ingram is ultimately moved, trading Hart could be used as the initial move that tests the waters. Either by getting back future picks, or another young talent. Perhaps even a more established veteran, to get in the ear of Williamson and show him all is not lost while he is in New Orleans.
No matter what, Josh Hart is a serious key to their future. This is strange to say about a player with career averages of 8.7 points and 34.8 percent shooting from deep. He has plenty of space to show what he can do, and the organization will be hoping that it is enough to actually help them to win. If not, the former Los Angeles Laker may be on his way. Perhaps his future employers will enquire about him at that point? They seem to have asked about everybody else.