Pelicans offseason primer: Herb Jones extension, Brandon Ingram, more

The 2022-23 New Orleans Pelicans season went from incredibly exciting to downright disappointing. It all started with the return of Zion Williamson, who missed all of last season, re-joining a Pelicans team that made a late push to the 2022 playoffs. The Pelicans started the season 23-14 led by Williamson who was playing like an All-NBA lock. They were on track to return to the playoffs and lock up homecourt advantage in the first round.

Then Williamson suffered a hamstring injury from which he would not return this season. The Pelicans plummeted in his absence and finished the season 19-26, falling all the way down to the play-in tournament, then elimination. The team is clearly well-equipped to win many games, they just need their star player to stay on the court. With Williamson only having played 37 percent of Pelicans’ regular season games in his short career, at what point does his unavailability become a major concern?

The Pelicans are going into the offseason with their roster mostly set. They still have a surplus of picks that could be used in a consolidation trade or to continue replenishing depth in a new CBA that poses more roster-building challenges. They also have several key players that are extension-eligible that they will look to take care of.

Here is a preview of the 2023 offseason for the New Orleans Pelicans.