The New Orleans Pelicans can’t wait to start the new season.
After making one of the biggest moves of the season by signing Dejounte Murray in a blockbuster trade, they are confident this deal will make them a serious contender in the competitive Western Conference.
You can hardly blame them.
If Zion Williamson stays healthy and Murray proves to be the player they’ve been looking for for so long, there’s enough on this roster to take the next step and go deep into the playoffs.
The main reason for this is the steady rise of young stars.
Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones are getting better every year and are playing their way into influential roles for the Pelicans after both were drafted in 2021.
The rise of this duo has made Brandon Ingram largely expendable as he and his camp look for a max contract that New Orleans is unwilling to pay.
It was clear during the offseason that the Pelicans were looking for a trade partner to acquire the All-Star and his contract demands, but after no takers emerged, it’s becoming increasingly likely that he will be on the roster this year.
While this helps in the short term, it puts the front office in a difficult position in terms of future financials.
However, if you look ahead to the 2025 offseason, The athlete believes that even if the company were to succeed in finding a trading partner for Ingram, it would face a difficult situation in terms of payroll.
“The Pelicans are $63 million under the proposed tax. That may sound like a lot, but that doesn’t include anything for Brandon Ingram or Trey Murphy III (restricted), so New Orleans’ finances could get tricky. That’s likely true whether Ingram is traded or not, because management probably wants whatever they get to stay with the team after this season,” he writes.
That is really the crux of the situation.
The transfer ideas for Ingram always included the Pelicans getting a legitimate center in return, regardless of who they could send their star forward to if the deal ever went through.
Of course, this is still a very distant dream.
New Orleans should focus on doing whatever it takes to win this year as they seek their first playoff series win under head coach Willie Green.
