The New Orleans Pelicans' season is quickly reaching a tipping point. One-third through the season, they have just a 6-29 record and have virtually no chance of making the play-in tournament, let alone the playoffs.
That has led to obvious questions about the future of their roster, namely Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Zion has only played six games this season while Ingram is poised to hit unrestricted free agency this summer. Figuring out what to do with both players should be priority number one for the Pelicans.
At the moment, Zion is far too injury-prone to build a contender around. At the same time, Ingram turned down a $50 million-a-season extension with New Orleans, making the prospect of trading him likely, according to ESPN.
In fact, the Pelicans are reportedly committed to trading Ingram before the February 6th deadline. As for Zion, they seem open to also trading him. But according to ESPN, neither he nor his agent will actively push New Orleans to move him ahead of the deadline.
The Pelicans quietly make franchise-altering decisions regarding Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson
Zion and his agent not demanding a trade isn't all that surprising since there probably wouldn't be any obvious takers for him. Also, with his contract no longer guaranteed, he probably would have more leeway with the Pelicans, who might be hesitant to give up on a player they drafted first overall than another team would be.
For instance, were he traded to Detroit and only played 20 games next season, they may be more inclined to cut their losses, assuming that they didn't give up too much money to land him.
Keeping Zion and trading Ingram is probably for the best since it wouldn't preclude them from continuing to lose games. That would potentially allow them to end up with a share of the top odds to land the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Landing the first or second pick could net them a future star that they could either pair with Zion or potentially replace him with a new future face of the franchise.
Ingram may also fetch more in a trade than Zion would at the moment, so taking a more cautious approach with Zion in the hopes that he can return to full health is probably their best bet. All in all, New Orleans plans with their two best players make sense, though it likely will come as little solace to Pelican fans who have had to endure a brutal season thus far.