The New Orleans Pelicans' future is viewed with much more optimism than their current roster.
The New Orleans Pelicans are considered to be in the bottom tier of the league right now. With two exciting young players, though, there should be a fair bit to look forward to.
Not all believe that, however. Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recently released a power rankings list that covers the next three seasons in the NBA. The Pelicans rank. No 29 out of 30, which does seem a little bit harsh.
The only team that New Orleans is above on this list is the Sacramento Kings, who are far and away the worst-off franchise. The Pelicans should certainly feel slighted to fall lower on this ranking than teams like the Brooklyn Nets, who have an even longer track record of losing and the Milwaukee Bucks, who just kicked off a rebuild and should in no way be in shape to compete in three years.
As fair as it is to criticize New Orleans for how the past few years have been run, they do at least have a roster on paper that could compete for the postseason. Any Pelicans fan knows that it's easier said than done, because it has been said before, but it's at least something. If they got the coaching hire right, they could realistically be back in the playoffs next year.
If things do go wrong this season, though, they shouldn't feel too trapped. They are coming off a lot of money over the next two years with Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray all set to expire at the end of the 2027/2027 campaign. On top of that, they would still have the assets to gain from flipping Trey Murphy and Herb Jones.
Having Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen play second fiddle this season might not be the most optimal for their individual games, but it does leave them options for the future. Both have shown flashes of franchise player potential early on in their careers.
What could really change things for New Orleans is if they could both get back into the postseason and still end up with a top selection thanks to the fact that they are the ones who own the Bucks' rights. The new lottery odds are weird, but the Pelicans should have a great shot at earning a top pick no matter how this season goes.
While the Pelicans certainly aren't in a great position, it feels unfair to put them second-to-last in the league over a three year stretch given that they have options to reset and get out of their current circumstances. That can't be said for all. A team like the Phoenix Suns is both stuck in limbo after not being good enough to win, but having a star player like Devin Booker who is going to be making nearly $70 million in 2029/2030 via an option.
