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Heading into the 2022-23 NBA campaign, plenty of folks had high expectations for the New Orleans Pelicans. After all, the Pelicans were fresh off of the team's first playoff appearance since the 2017-18 season and took the one-seeded Phoenix Suns to six games as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. But fast forward to the current day, and it's evident that the Pelicans fell short of expectations.
The New Orleans Pelicans did little but tread water this season, as while they did improve on their regular-season record from last year (they ended up with 42 wins compared to 36 in 2021-22), New Orleans still finished with just the ninth-best record in the Western Conference. And they didn't even qualify for the postseason, as the Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated them from the play-in tournament, on their own home court no less.
But despite the Pelicans' disappointing fashion, a few shrewd free-agent signings here and there this summer could help them make the playoffs once again in 2024. With all of that said, let's look at the two best Pelicans targets in free agency after the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday:
2 best Pelicans targets in free agency after 2023 NBA Draft
Josh Richardson
Before the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline, the Pelicans traded guard Devonte' Graham plus four future second-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Josh Richardson. At the time, that seemed like a lot of assets to give up for a bench player. But Richardson thrived in 23 games off the Pelicans bench.
Josh Richardson has built a reputation for being a pesky on-ball defender, and he lived up to his reputation with the Pelicans. He averaged 1.3 steals per game, the second-highest average of his pro career. When Zion Williamson is on the floor and healthy next season, Richardson's ability to force turnovers and thus create fast-break opportunities will likely become even more valuable.
While Josh Richardson is best known for making opposing players' lives miserable on offense, he's more than just a one-trick pony. Richardson also provided valuable floor-spacing for the Pelicans on the offensive end. He shot 38.4% from behind the three-point arc with New Orleans on 3.7 attempts per game.
All in all, Josh Richardson positively impacted the game on both ends of the floor in his short stint in New Orleans, so the New Orleans Pelicans would be wise to re-sign him this offseason.
Josh Hart
Considering Zion Williamson's lengthy injury history, it would make a lot of sense for the New Orleans Pelicans to add another forward to the roster via free agency this summer. And one name who stands out as someone who'd be a great fit in New Orleans is New York Knicks forward Josh Hart.
Josh Hart is a poor man's Draymond Green — he's a defensive-minded player and a terrific leader who does a little bit of everything on the court.
Hart's calling card is to use his active hands to force deflections and steals, as he averaged 1.4 steals per game with the Knicks. But he also provided elite rebounding (7.0 rebounds per game), playmaking (3.8 assists per game), and three-point shooting (51.9%) at the forward spot.
At this juncture, it's unclear who the New Orleans Pelicans will decide to target in free agency this summer. But what's already abundantly clear is that they should re-sign guard Josh Richardson and sign forward Josh Hart.
