Should the New Orleans Pelicans consider tanking or competing this season?

The New Orleans Pelicans currently sit at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 4-15 record. Heading into the season the expectations were fairly high for the Pelicans they were coming off a 49-win season in which they finished as an 8-seed and they added Dejounte Murray over the offseason. Sure, New Orleans had clear roster flaws such as the lack of a true center and nobody considered them true contenders but they were expected to be in the mix for the playoffs. Regardless, of what you thought of the team going into the season having the worst record in the West is certainly a surprise.

The main problem for the Pelicans this season has been injuries. Key players Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, and Herb Jones have missed significant time this season. Last week the Pelicans were so ravished by injuries that they started a shocking starting lineup consisting of Brandon Boston, Elfrid Payton, Javonte Green, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Yves Missi.

This led many to speculate that the Pelicans had officially entered the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. Williamson is out for at least another month with a hamstring injury and didn't look himself in the six games he played this season. It might be time for the Pelicans to get a top pick and kick-start a new era. However, with Murray, McCollum, and Murphy back could the Pelicans look to turn their season around? 

Is it time for the Pelicans to blow it up?

The Zion-Ingram era has undoubtedly been a disappointment. During their five full seasons together the Pelicans have only made the playoffs twice and Zion has missed both of those playoff series. Ingram had been involved in trade rumors all summer but nothing manifested. He is a 2025 free agent and appears to have no future with the organization. However, his trade value doesn't appear to be high. Should the Pelicans just take what they can get for Ingram at the deadline and look to start fresh? Zion's decision is also difficult. Yes, for the Pelicans it would make sense to trade Zion and begin rebuilding. But considering his injury history and slow start to the season in which he shot a career-low 45.2 percent from the field Zion has limited trade value right now.

The lack of value for their two stars puts the Pelicans in an extremely difficult position. New Orleans can either sell low on their stars and fully bottom out or wait for Zion to get healthy and make a push of the play-in. The Pelicans are in no position to add more talent around Zion or Ingram. However, trading those two for more win-now talent as opposed to future assets could be possible. If the Pelicans try to compete there's still no guarantee they can even make the play-in.

Currently, the Pelicans are six games out of the play-in and seven games out of the playoffs. While it's technically still possible they rise up in the standings it feels unlikely they secure a play-in spot in the ultra-competitive West. As a result, the Pelican's best move is to bottom out and secure a high lottery pick. Furthermore, the 2025 draft class is one of the best in recent memory and the Pelicans have a plethora of future draft picks.

They should trade Ingram for whatever value he has at the deadline. Ingram is averaging a productive 22.9 points and could yield the Pelicans some solid future assets and or young players despite his expiring contract. As for Williamson ideally, he returns at some point in December and looks more like his dominant self. This would allow the Pelicans to get more for him at the deadline. However, it's unclear how likely this scenario is. It's more likely that Williamson will be put on ice for the rest of the season or be in and out of the lineup. Ultimately, the Pelicans are in one of the most challenging situations in the league however, their best option is to focus on the draft and start rebuilding, especially with how competitive the Western Conference is.