The New Orleans Pelicans entered the season with a bang as they had a seven-game winning streak and another five successive wins in December. After their December 30th win over the Philadelphia 76ers, they had a 23-12 record, but they now lost six games in a row as they have dropped to a 26-23 record. That's still good enough for fourth place in the West due to the subpar play of their other counterparts.
Zion Williamson has been named as an All-Star starter for the first time in his career, but the Pelicans are more worried about the status of his hamstring. Brandon Ingram returned in their last game after missing two months due to a toe injury. Trey Murphy III and Naji Marshall have been terrific in stepping up due to their absence, but the stars must be at their peak by March or April already.
With the February 9th trade deadline approaching, there could be a way for them to mess them and take three steps back in their progression.
Panic trade someone like Herbert Jones or Dyson Daniels
Since New Orleans has not snapped their horrific six-game losing streak, it is inevitable to have a bit of panic from the players, coaches, and more importantly the front office. Ingram looked a bit rusty in their last contest against the Denver Nuggets, and the fanbase can be a little impatient because of their excellent beginning to their 2022-23 campaign.
Before the start of this year, Kevin Durant was rumored to possibly head to the Big Easy when he requested a trade because New Orleans has the young assets and draft capital to offer a substantial package in return. There is no one of a similar caliber to Durant who can be available before the trade deadline, but someone like O.G. Anunoby or John Collins could be acquired by any organization willing to take the risk.
Both Anunoby and Collins are valued a ton by their current franchises, so they want a lot in return. From the Pelicans' point of view, they can add particular players that would fit in their system, but they must not make a big splash and let go of someone like Herbert Jones, Dyson Daniels, or even the Los Angeles Lakers' first-round picks.
These players are struggling at the early juncture of their careers, but they are still far from reaching their peak in the NBA. Thus, their trade value is not as high as they would desire, so it would not be brilliant to move them while their value is low. A disaster that could happen is for them to add someone like Anunoby or Collins and give back all the demands of the Raptors or Hawks, then they will only stay until their contract expires and leaves New Orleans.
This nucleus is still very young with the ideal veterans to mentor them, so there is no incentive for them to rush the progression of this organization. Ingram is still 25 years old, and Williamson is 22 years of age, so they will be a legitimate contender in the West for many years to come. They must focus on building internally, especially with the deep roster they have right now.
Imagine if New Orleans messes this up and does something similar to what the Minnesota Timberwolves did to acquire Rudy Gobert, their fanbase will lose the necessary optimism for a small market franchise.
The worst-case scenario is for them to accept a trade like that, lose their main guys to injuries to end the season, and lose in the play-in tournament once again.
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