The New Orleans Pelicans lost two valuable starters in center DeMarcus Cousins and point guard Rajon Rondo, yet their front office, led by general manager Dell Demps, is now dwelling on their departures, rather excited about the signings they made to replace them, according to Scott Kushner of Pelicans.com.

The Pels snagged Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton on short-term contracts, allowing them to prioritize Anthony Davis as their talisman the upcoming offseason.

Randle was initially renounced by the Los Angeles Lakers after the two sides met and agreed to part ways, allowing him to bypass the back-and-forth formalities of restricted free agency, taking the purple-and-gold tag off for good. It only took hours before the Dallas native locked down a two-year agreement with the Pelicans.

Payton was merely a one-year rental for the Phoenix Suns and quickly entered the free agent market. Having lost Rondo, the Pelicans were in dire need of a point guard in hopes to keep Jrue Holiday thriving as a scorer at the shooting guard position, developing into a two-way player after being a First-Team All Defensive member in 2017-18.

Payton will return to his native Louisiana in a one-year deal, likely as the starter heading into training camp.