5 teams who will regret not beating Bucks' offer for Damian Lillard

4. Why the Pelicans will regret not trading for Damian Lillard

The New Orleans Pelicans have more future first-round picks than they know what to do with. Team president David Griffin has done a tremendous job of building out a deep and talented roster while also stockpiling draft picks. At some point, New Orleans will have to consolidate assets. It's hard to imagine a better opportunities than this.

Lillard is the ideal point guard for New Orleans' roster. His 3-point dynamism, combined with Zion Williamson's rim pressure, would force defenses into an unsolvable conundrum. Factor in Brandon Ingram as the secondary initiator and connective tissue, and the Pelicans would potentially field the best offense in the NBA.

It is understood that Lillard would have protested an outcome like this, but he has four years left on his contract and narry a no-trade clause in sight. His bargaining power was ultimately very limited, and the results would speak plainly on the court. New Orleans is running out of time to make the Zion era happen. It's time to get risky. The Bucks got Lillard for a bargain-bin price. This was a huge missed opportunity for the Pels, who have all the assets necessary to blow Milwaukee out of the water in a bidding war.

With CJ McCollum as the tradable salary filler, it's not hard to pick out an intriguing collection of players from New Orleans' supporting cast — Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, Larry Nance Jr. — to go along with a few picks to sweeten the pot. That trade probably works out better for Portland, and it lands the Pelicans firmly in the contenders circle. There is risk, of course, primarily tied to health, but it's impossible to win a championship without taking a few swings.