It's time for Pelicans to rebuild

Back when the Pelicans selected Zion Williamson first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, many thought they had one of the brightest futures in the league. Not only did they draft a generational prospect in Williamson, but they also acquired a budding star in Brandon Ingram and several first-round picks thanks to the Anthony Davis trade.

Fast forward six years and the Pelicans look the worst they have in a long time. Williamson has not panned out the way they had hoped due to injuries, Ingram has remained a consistent 20+ point per game scorer but has also struggled to stay on the court and many moves made with the intention to bolster the roster have not panned out. 

This team has so much talent yet sits at the bottom of the Western Conference, holding the second-worst record in the entire NBA (7-31). With Ingram hitting free agency, Williamson having played just seven games this season and players like CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray not contributing to many wins, it seems like it's time for the Pelicans to enter another rebuild. 

Their current roster doesn't function well together even when healthy, and with almost no chance of making the playoffs, something has to change. Sure, they could move Ingram, McCollum and Murray in order to try and retool the roster around Williamson, but with his inability to stay healthy, it may be worth cleaning house entirely. 

Players like Trey Murphy III and Yves Missi have already shown great amounts of potential in their short careers. They won't be franchise players, but these two, alongside Jordan Hawkins and Herb Jones, can be good building blocks for their rebuild. 

It's hard to estimate what trade packages for the Pelicans star players could look like thanks in part to the league's new CBA. However, it's hard to imagine the Pelicans not being set up for the future if they opt to clean house and ship off all four of Williamson, Ingram, Murray and McCollum. 

It truly is unfortunate that this unit never panned out. When healthy, Ingram and Williamson are a very exciting offensive duo. However, we see tandems like this come and go all the time in the NBA and it's time for the Pelicans to do the right thing and rebuild before it's too late.