The New Orleans Pelicans are in a weird spot in their franchise. They have a star that they don't know what to do with, two fun rookies, a losing record and no first round pick.
There are a handful of opinions on where the Pelicans can take their team. Trading Zion Williamson, continuing to build from where they are and completely blowing things up all seem to be on the table.
It would make sense for Joe Dumars to be interested in adding another star to the roster or perhaps even trading Williamson for another young star. While that may make sense, they must be careful about who they add to their roster in an effort to avoid making the same mistakes.
Yahoo Sports insider Kelly Iko reported that Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is open to a trade. While Ball is a very talented and fun-to-watch player, it would be a huge misstep for New Orleans to pursue a move involving him.
Ball was the third-overall selection in the 2020 NBA draft. He's been an All-Star, Rookie of the Year and is a highlight-generating machine.
In a different timeline, he'd be a perfect candidate to replace Williamson as the centerpiece of the Pelicans. In this one, though, he's a bit too similar to the current New Orleans star.
Ball has only played in at least 52 games once in his career. He's played in 240 out of a possible 415 games. That's just 57.8%. It's better than Williamson, who has played in 220 out of 487 games (45.2%), but not nearly enough to subdue any worries about having a star with better availability.
The whole reason that the Hornets would be willing to move him and have had reported hesitation around him is his approach to the game when he's off the court and his injury history.
While a team with a set culture could potentially turn things around for Ball, the Pelicans are not there right now.
From a pure basketball perspective, Ball also isn't the type of player they should be looking to add if they blow things up.
Jeremiah Fears looks to be the point guard of the future and Derik Queen is an offensive hub. With no first round pick next year, those two would be the players to build around. They need more shooting help and a big that compliments Queen's game, not a ball-dominant playmaking guard.