After another disappointment in the first round of the Playoffs, the New Orleans Pelicans need results. The current group, essentially the same since the end of the 2021-22 fiscal year, has shown its limits, and the front office seems ready to move.
About a fortnight ago, the time was clear for David Griffin (General Manager of the New Orleans Pelicans). And this observation is clear. A damaged front mirror, a driver who doesn’t seem very calm about the direction of the motorway taken, and the feeling that perhaps the whole group should be taken for a technical inspection. Even if it means changing a few parts?
In front of the press, Griffin indeed announced change:
“In the past, we have always favored continuity and our goal has always been to see this group in good health. I think we’ve seen it enough. We’ve seen it long enough to understand that there’s a lot of work to be done.”
Griffin on offseason: “In the past we’ve always erred on the side of continuity and our takeaway has always been, ‘Let’s see this group healthy.’ (Now) I think we’ve seen this group enough. We saw it for segments of time well enough to understand we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
— Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) April 30, 2024
A quick summary on the status, and future, of the important players in the rotation.
Those whose exit is planned
We told you about it a few days ago, but Brandon Ingram is closer to a departure than a contract extension in Louisiana. Eligible for a nice jackpot of $208 million over 4 years (52 million per season), the franchise does not seem happy with the idea of paying such a sum for the winger. Free agent in the summer of 2025, the possibility of a trade between now and then is more than ever an option to take into account.
The Lithuanian pivot has played 82 games this season, but is reaching the end of his contract this summer. NOLA seems reluctant to bring back the unrestricted free agent, often left on the bench late in games. While his profile makes people interested, a departure is likely according to the latest trends.
In the same situation as the pivot, Naji Marshall is free from any contract in a few weeks. Undrafted in 2020, he will seek to land a nice price that other franchises will undoubtedly be quicker to offer than the Pelicans.
Question marks
If a departure is far from being a topical subject for the moment, CJ McCollum is not one of the untouchables of the locker room. If the opportunity arises, it cannot be ruled out that the veteran’s contract could be attached to a trade package. But the former Blazers player remains popular in NOLA, and the trend is more towards him see again wearing the uniform in October.
His – small – contract ends in a year, and the season 2024-25 is a team option that the franchise can decide to activate. The Pels can offer him an extension right now, it’s just a matter of agreeing on an amount. Possible that in the event of disagreement, a bunch of teams could come knocking on Gran Theft Alvarado’s door.
Those who don’t move a bit
This is another hot issue of the summer from David Griffin, but more in the sense of a nice extension. Drafted in 2021, Trey Murphy is eligible for a new contract after his years in rookie deal. If we are not talking about a max player, New Orleans is likely to offer him an amount greater than 100 million over 4 years at least. Especially in the event of Brandon Ingram’s departure, the winger could finally integrate the major five in the long term, and that’s where the franchise is heading.
While his repeated injuries may have been a source of frustration, the New Orleans Pelicans’ priority is still to build a workforce around of the first choice of the 2019 Draft. With a (nice) contract until 2028, any other option is ruled out for the moment.
Extended last year at a very good price (13 million per season) until 2027, Herb Jones is one of the biggest satisfactions of the Pels season. He excels almost everywhere and is here to stay.
The rookie selected with the 14th choice of the 2023 Draft is also one of the satisfactions of New Orleans’ season, and everything indicates that he should continue to grow within the franchise.
Potential targets
While the New Orleans Pelicans are considering trades, they have a lot of assets: Ingram’s contract (36 million), potentially that of McCollum (33 million), as well as a nice range of draft picks. David Griffin can therefore count on plenty of room for maneuver.
- A temptation for Jarrett Allen?
For the moment, the name of Jarrett Allen stands out in the rumors. Especially with Valanciunas leaving, the Cavaliers center would be the priority of the NOLA front office. But if we take a look at the market, few big names seem available at position 5. To be continued.
The change is now in Louisiana. The New Orleans Pelicans trust Zion Williamson and the Herb Jones – Trey Murphy pair, while an Ingram departure seems more and more likely.
Source texte : Michael Scotto
2024-05-11 14:00:00
#extends #leaves #summer
