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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.
More must-reads:
- 20 notable NBA players who never made an All-Star Game
- Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to make MVP case in win vs. Pistons
- The '20 PPG during the 2021-22 NBA season' quiz
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Sixers, Thunder being investigated by the NBA
The NBA is investigating the Thunder and the Sixers for possible violations of the league’s player participation policy, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. According to Charania, the NBA is looking specifically at the Thunder’s March 7 game against Portland, in which the team sat its entire starting five: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (rest), Chet Holmgren (lower leg contusion), Jalen Williams (wrist sprain), Luguentz Dort (patellofemoral soreness) and Isaiah Hartenstein (nasal fracture re-injury). Cason Wallace (right knee contusion) also missed the game, which wasn’t part of a back-to-back set. While Holmgren sat out Oklahoma City’s March 5 contest too, the other five players who missed the Portland game were available on both March 5 and March 9. Gilgeous-Alexander is the only Thunder player who meets the “star” criteria as defined by the player participation policy, but there’s a precedent for teams being penalized for sitting several “non-star” starters in the same game — the Nets were hit with a $100K fine last season for making a similar move. Still, Rylan Stiles of SI.com and Bobby Marks of ESPN are among the reporters to question the necessity of investigating the Thunder for their approach to the Portland game, given that they’ve had a strenuous post-All-Star schedule and still won the game by 18 points. Marks suggests that the league should be focused more on lottery-bound teams who may be flaunting the policy in an effort to improve their draft odds. The Jazz, one such lottery-bound team, were fined $100K two days ago for a player participation policy. The Sixers, who have also seemingly pivoted to prioritizing lottery position in recent weeks, ruled out 11 players for Friday’s game against Indiana. According to Charania, the league is looking at the Sixers due to the recent absences of Paul George (knee/back/finger) and Tyrese Maxey (back/finger). George has missed the past five games, while Maxey has been out for the past six, though head coach Nick Nurse said after Friday’s loss that Maxey should return at some point during Philadelphia’s upcoming six-game road trip, via Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. The league may determine that the absences of George, Maxey and the rest of the inactive Sixers players are legitimate, but if the club is determined to have violated the player participation policy, it could face a fine of $250K. That’s the amount for a second violation, and the 76ers already received a $100K fine earlier this season.
Colorado Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog Drops a Major Statement On Retirement
Gabriel Landeskog has been out since the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, but now, he's got a message for those thinking he's headed to retirement. The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup back in the summer of 2022, and since that point, they're yet to see captain Gabriel Landeskog take the ice again, with many believing that he could be headed towards retirement. There has been hints that he could be returning at some point in 2024/25, but thus far we've not had any significant updates, with all signs hinting that he'll miss his second straight full NHL season. However, for those that believe he's headed towards retirement, No. 92 has a message that he firmly delivered on episode 2 of 'A Clean Sheet: Gabe Landeskog', hinting that he's not done yet. Those people that are worried about retirement, they might have to re-think things a little bit. At 32-years of age, there's still plenty of time for Landeskog to get back on the ice in the NHL, but with his growing list of injuries continuing to mount, it's easy to see why fans don't expect to see him back anytime soon. Way back in May of 2023, Landeskog underwent cartilage transplant surgery, the same one that Chicago Bulls star Lonzo Ball underwent, and while it took him a few years to get close to 100%, he has finally got through his recovery and made his way back to the court. This doesn't mean that Landeskog will be returning anytime soon, but with the team pushing for a Stanley Cup in 2025, if there's anytime for their long-time captain to make his long awaited return, that could be the most dramatic and positive time for him to do so. Ultimately though, it may not be until next year, but at the very least, this comment shows that he's committed to a return.
Edmonton Oilers suffer major loss of forward Zach Hyman with injury
The Edmonton Oilers debuted an impressive new lineup Friday night and were able to bank a win, but seemed to lose Zach Hyman to injury. The Oilers debuted a new balanced lineup with Hyman and Henrique on the first line, an experiment that quickly ended after Hyman's injury. Edmonton Oilers may need to recall forward due to Zach Hyman injury According to Oilers analyst Allan Mitchell, Edmonton may be looking at calling up a forward from the AHL in the wake of Hyman's injury: "It wouldn't be Oilers without a worry. Hyman's injury is a big damned deal, and it's possible someone is flying coast to coast [Saturday]." The Oilers forward Hyman left the game in the first period. The encouraging sign is that he returned to the bench, but then only played two shifts in the third — and finished with half of his usual ice time. New Oilers forward Max Jones was the healthy scratch Friday night, and if Hyman isn't able to play against the New York Rangers, it's very likely he'll be the forward to draw into the lineup. Oilers may make roster move decision in wake of Hyman injury Still, the Oilers could make a roster move for another extra body depending on the severity of Hyman's injury. Considering that Hyman is a top-six player and expected to be an offensive producer, a call -up for Matthew Savoie would make more sense if the injury is longer term. It's very unfortunate for the Oilers to lose Hyman, especially as they were just starting to turn a corner with a more balanced lineup to get them out of their rut. If Hyman is absent for any amount of time, the Oilers will hope others can step up to fill his shoes.
Multiple Canadiens sources expect Kent Hughes to be aggressive on trade market this offseason
The trade deadline was quiet for Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens. While many expected a major hockey trade, nothing materialized. However, this might just be a temporary delay, as a report suggests that Kent Hughes will be very active in the summer. In a recent article by Marco D'Amico for the site RG.org, a league executive stated that he would be stunned if the Canadiens did not make a trade this summer. This was not the right time for Kent Hughes According to D'Amico's source, the trade deadline was not an opportune time for Kent Hughes to make a move. But the upcoming summer will be one to watch, and it could make a big splash. "The trade deadline is not the time to build your team. It's an arms race," said a Canadiens source, per D'Amico. "They tried to find what they could, but there were so few sellers in this market that prices were sky-high. I fully expect the club to be aggressive this summer with all the draft capital and prospects they’ve accumulated." Additionally, a pro scout said, per D'Amico: “I'd be shocked if the Canadiens didn’t trade for an age-appropriate center this summer, especially with a young phenom like Ivan Demidov landing in Montreal next season. From what I’m hearing, the Canadiens feel like that’s the missing piece to get them to the playoffs. Much easier to acquire a top-six center with term in the offseason than in February or March, especially when you’re mostly offering futures.” Additionally, Kent Hughes appears to have initiated discussions (last Friday) that could lead to a trade this summer. Montreal Canadiens are definitely looking to improve their center depth The source is clear: The price to improve on March 7 was extremely high. The Canadiens were actively looking to strengthen their center depth before the trade deadline. But with half of the league's teams doing the same, it didn't help Kent Hughes in his efforts. "Almost every potential NHL playoff team was looking for help at center, and the options were very limited. Did you see the prices paid for Nelson, Laughton, and the other centers available just before the deadline? Those were very high prices because desperation is greater at this time of year," an NHL source told D'Amico. With Kirby Dach not performing at center and Alex Newhook definitely not being a top-six player, they certainly need to find a solution —especially since the Habs need to properly surround Ivan Demidov for his NHL debut. Options like Jordan Kyrou, Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish and possibly even Elias Pettersson could be interesting.
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