The New Orleans Pelicans have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA this season. After starting the 2022-23 campaign with a 23-12 record, the Pelicans went 19-28 the rest of the way, a stretch that included a 10-game losing streak that ended up dooming their season. From having the look of a championship contender that could have a shot at Victor Wembanyama given their pick swap rights with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Pelicans are now staring down the barrel of an offseason that could be filled with plenty of difficult decisions.
Zion Williamson's rookie extension will kick in next season, which puts the Pelicans' cap situation in a much trickier position. Without re-signing a few of their key free agents, such as Jaxson Hayes and Josh Richardson, the Pelicans will already be over the cap, making it difficult for them to acquire reinforcements in free agency.
Even then, missing the playoffs this season isn't the end of the world for the Pelicans. The Brandon Ingram-Zion Williamson core is as good a place to start as any, and they still have a few crucial role players on their rookie deals. They will also add another lottery pick to their roster.
But it's clear that for the Pelicans to take the next step into becoming a legitimate contender, they will have to hunt for a true third star to put alongside Ingram and Williamson. Not only will adding a third star boost the team's championship equity, it also gives them insurance policy in the event that Williamson misses time due to injury once more.
And given the Pelicans' cap situation, there's only one player they can dangle to acquire a significant upgrade. Here's the player the Pelicans must trade this offseason.
1 player Pelicans must trade in the 2023 NBA offseason: CJ McCollum
It's a bit unfair to pin a lot of blame for the Pelicans' play-in defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder on CJ McCollum's shoulders. After all, he played through an injured thumb that requires surgery. Not too many players will decide to play through pain. But McCollum did. And he deserves credit for that.
But as much credit McCollum deserves for powering through, he also deserves criticism for not being at his best in the games that ended up deciding the fate of the Pelicans' season. He faltered this past Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, when a win would have meant that the Pelicans would have two chances to make the playoffs via the play-in tournament. And against the Thunder, McCollum scored just 14 points on 5-15 shooting, an unacceptable display for the Pelicans' highest-paid player.
CJ McCollum has had his moments in a Pelicans uniform. He was key in their play-in triumph last year, and he played a huge part in making their first-round series against the one-seed Phoenix Suns a competitive one. But the Pelicans certainly have higher ambitions than to merely be a fringe playoff team, and trading McCollum away looks like their best chance at acquiring a game-changer on the market.
McCollum will be making $35.8 million next season, which puts him as a prime trade candidate should the Pelicans decide that they need a third All-Star alongside Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Perhaps the Pelicans could try to dangle McCollum in a trade for Damian Lillard if the Portland Trail Blazers decide to jumpstart their rebuild.
The Pelicans have plenty of picks to attach to McCollum, and they also have a few former first-round picks to sweeten a potential deal. (Trey Murphy should be off limits, however.)
Beyond McCollum, other Pelicans could be in play in a potential trade as well. Jonas Valanciunas could be on the block, given that head coach Willie Green prefers to play a more mobile big man in his place during crunch time. But it's unclear which team would be on the lookout for a big man whose defensive value is limited.
The Pelicans could also decide to start anew and trade away Zion Williamson. After all, Williamson's absence has cost the Pelicans dearly on multiple occasions. And it doesn't look like Williamson's injury woes will be going away anytime soon, making him one of the most high-risk, high-reward players in the NBA.
It will be difficult to justify trading away Williamson, however. The Pelicans, despite missing Brandon Ingram for chunks of the season, looked like world-beaters because of the presence of the highflying left-handed forward. With Williamson on the court, the Pelicans outscored their opponents by 7.2 points per 100 possessions, per PBP Stats. That is a mark greater than the Boston Celtics' league-leading net rating.
The Pelicans won't want to give up on Zion Williamson this early in his career, so CJ McCollum stands as their biggest and most realistic trade chip.
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