Changes are coming in New Orleans.
Entering this season, the Pelicans knew their current core was on the clock. The 2024-25 season was supposed to bring clarity to what the next phase of the Zion Williamson era looked like and what pieces fit with one of the NBA’s most enigmatic stars.
The Pelicans have acquired talented, young role players to surround Williamson and Brandon Ingram since they arrived in New Orleans in 2019. But as these pieces grow more expensive, it becomes difficult to keep them together. It’s even more difficult to gauge their value when the stars aren’t there to make sure everything falls in place.
That’s been the constant source of frustration with the Pelicans over the past six seasons. It seems to have reached a breaking point in recent weeks after a horrid 5-20 start and another extended stretch with Williamson and Ingram expected to be out indefinitely.
Williamson has been sidelined with a left hamstring strain since Nov. 8, and his activity has remained limited since then. Ingram suffered a high-grade, low left ankle sprain on Saturday. The Pelicans have not provided a timeline for either player to return to the floor.
With those two sidelined for at least the next few weeks, the Pelicans are expected to make some moves ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline that’ll show how they plan to proceed into the future. At the very least, they’re expected to be active on the trade market to cut some salary and duck the luxury tax.
The toughest part about making these decisions is the same as what’s led to this frustrating outcome. The amount of time Williamson and Ingram have missed in the last few years has prevented the organization from coming to a clear conclusion on how far a Williamson-Ingram combo can go. For some, their constant failure to reach expectations — and stay healthy — was enough to prove this pairing was never the answer.
But the Pelicans’ path going forward is murkier than the one they’ve been on, at least for now. The financial restrictions introduced by the most recent CBA has shrunk the trade market across the league for players with high salaries, like Williamson and Ingram. Ingram is set to be an unrestricted free agent once the season ends, making matters even more complicated.
Let’s assess the options for New Orleans as it braces for a potential mini-rebuild.
Trade Brandon Ingram
Instead of allowing him to walk for nothing, trade Ingram to the highest bidder ahead of the trade deadline and build a future around Williamson, Dejounte Murray and the remaining pieces.
Why it makes sense: Considering the Pelicans’ current financial restrictions, coming to an agreement on an extension with Ingram will be difficult under any scenario. Including its first-round pick, New Orleans already has around $168 million on the books for the 2025-26 season, only $19 million below the projected luxury tax.
Turning Ingram’s $36 million contract into multiple pieces will make it easier for the Pelicans to manage the cap going into next season and maintain the young core that’s already in place. It also wouldn’t hurt to grab an extra asset or two in whatever return comes along with a potential Ingram deal. Moving Ingram and giving those minutes — and salary slot — to Trey Murphy III would be a natural progression for this team.
Since Ingram recently switched his representation to Klutch Sports Group, the growing sentiment seems to be he’d prefer to have his fate determined in New Orleans before the trade deadline — trade or extension. Under those circumstances, the least complicated path would be a trade.
Drawbacks: The Pelicans searched throughout the league for potential Ingram suitors last offseason and couldn’t find a deal that made sense. Due to the uncertainty surrounding his next contract, most teams were hesitant to surrender real assets or, more importantly, commit to giving him the lucrative, long-term contract he’s been seeking. Under this new CBA, the consensus among teams seems to be that Ingram’s value isn’t high enough to garner the payday he thought was coming his way a year ago.
So, what exactly should Ingram’s next contract look like? And how many teams are willing to give him that number? These are the two major questions New Orleans has to figure out over the next two months.
Then, there’s the timing of this deal. Teams such as Miami, Golden State and Milwaukee have been linked to Ingram in previous trade rumors, but executing a deal of that magnitude can be difficult during the season. And Ingram’s ankle injury will only add to the uncertainty for a team that’s considering trading for him.
Younger teams such as Charlotte, Detroit or Utah might have interest in getting in on an Ingram deal, but will he commit to those teams long-term without assurances about how those rosters will look in 2025-26?
How realistic is it? I think the most likely scenario is this saga ends with Ingram traded before Feb. 6. I’m not sure there are any trade destinations that make sense right now. I’m guessing there will be a team that decides to take the risk at some point.
Move on from Zion
Due to the games Williamson has missed, the Pelicans have the freedom to waive him ahead of the 2025-26 season and remove the rest of his contract from their books. That’s highly unlikely to happen, given Williamson’s upside and what he has meant to the team. The only way this adds up is if Williamson gets traded.
Why it makes sense: Williamson’s near-constant injury issues have left the Pelicans in limbo for years as they’ve waited for all of their young talent to finally put it together. Moving on from Williamson could be the reset that he and the franchise need. It will remove a lot of the anxiety the franchise feels going into every season, wondering how long he’ll be able to stay on the court.
Depending on what his market looks like, Williamson could fetch a much larger trade package than Ingram. Removing Williamson’s deal would make it easier to find a middle ground on an Ingram extension.
Drawbacks: When healthy, Williamson has proved to be a superstar, and he doesn’t turn 25 until July. As frustrating as the Zion experience has been at nearly every turn, it still feels too early to give up on him at this stage in his career. With Williamson at the head of a healthy roster, this team has the potential to be a serious contender in the West. The ceiling just isn’t as high if Ingram is the best player on the team.
Also, a trade market for Williamson could be extremely complicated. How concerned will teams be about some of the off-court issues he’s gone through? How much will his previous injuries scare them away?
With a player this talented, someone will convince themselves to take a chance on him. But what if the offers New Orleans is getting back are lackluster? Would it still be worth moving on?
How realistic is it? I think the Pelicans are committed to making it work with Williamson. They know keeping him healthy and surrounding him with the right talent will be a challenge. Regardless, they still view him as the face of the franchise.
Trade CJ McCollum/run it back
Can the Pelicans give the Ingram-Williamson duo one more chance to make it work? It would be extremely difficult and it would require moving McCollum in a trade — along with a few others. But it’s not impossible.
Why it makes sense: If the market allows the Pelicans to keep Ingram on a deal that’s much lower than they expected it to be, perhaps it makes sense to take advantage and try out this core one more time.
As bad as the injuries have been in the past, there’s no way they’ll be this bad in 2025-26 … right? In theory, Murray, Ingram, Murphy, Williamson and Herb Jones can be an extremely dangerous lineup. But will it ever be anything more than just a team that could be good?
Drawbacks: This route would be extremely complicated, from figuring out what Ingram’s next deal looks like to finding a trade for McCollum.
Considering McCollum is due $30.6 million next season, there won’t be a long list of teams lining up to trade for him. Any deal involving McCollum would also have to give the Pelicans enough financial flexibility to keep Ingram and Williamson. Would it be worth it if the financial squeeze means Jordan Hawkins and/or Jose Alvarado have to be moved in the same deal as incentive to New Orleans’ trade partner?
And is it worth the stress of trotting this same group out one more time? At what point does it turn into the definition of insanity?
How realistic is it? I don’t think this pathway is as wild as some fans might think, but I still say it’s unlikely.
Trade Zion and Ingram
Just blow it up and start over with Murray, Murphy, Jones and whatever other draft picks come from the Ingram and Williamson trades.
Why it makes sense: I don’t think it makes much sense, but it would make some fans happy to just start over and commit to getting high picks in the next two drafts. With the amount of talent coming in, it isn’t a bad thought. It’s unrealistic considering where this team is with the current ownership and front office situation.
Drawbacks: Again, how good are those trade packages going to be for Ingram and Williamson? And it’s not as easy as some make it sound to start over from scratch. That climb up from the tanking bottom can be treacherous. Just ask the Washington Wizards.
How realistic is it? Not at all.
(Top photo of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram: Stephen Lew/Imagn Images)
