The New Orleans Pelicans received some very sad news on Thursday, as their team owner, Tom Benson, has passed away at the age of 90. They are currently mourning his loss, especially with his passion for sports, and the contributions he has made for the city, also owning the New Orleans Saints of the NFL.

The successful businessman's passing brought a bit of uncertainty to  the Pelicans, who already have a lot of big decisions to make this summer. This has been reported by Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post, who also thinks it has left the team's future in doubt.

With a current record of 39-28, the Pelicans are looking geared to make an appearance in this year's postseason. This is certainly a huge achievement for them, especially after losing DeMarcus Cousins due to an Achilles injury. They have continued to win, and are relying heavily on Anthony Davis to lead their charge. The good news is he is giving it his all night in and night out, producing impressive numbers across the board.

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Cousins is slated to become a free agent this summer, and is expected to generate a lot of interest from teams around the league. He is considered as one of the best big men in the NBA today, who will command nothing less than a max contract. The Pelicans also need to decide on how to build around him and Davis, to further improve their chances of bringing in more success in the coming years. These are just some of the things they will have to deal with, and it will be very interesting to see how they will all handle it, and who will be in charge by then.

The Saints and Pelicans Twitter accounts posted a message in response to an article saying the ownership of both teams were in flux. In the message, the teams say that ownership rights now go to Gayle Benson, Tom's wife. Whether or not the Pelicans will remain in New Orleans remains to be seen.