It may be argued that the New Orleans Pelicans had the worst offseason of any NBA staff, with head-scratching transfer after head-scratching transfer. Pelicans followers have new GM Joe Dumars to thank for that, and his newest feedback ought to infuriate them.
Dumars talked about throughout a current interview that the staff’s aim for subsequent season is not essentially to make the playoffs. For these maintaining a tally of the Western Convention, that is not shocking.
Joe Dumars is requested if buying and selling away the Pelicans’ unprotected first spherical decide means he expects to make the playoffs: “No. I’ve not put that expectation on anybody…it wasn’t like, ‘okay, we made this commerce, I anticipate to make the playoffs.’ That is shortsighted to me.” pic.twitter.com/qiVpyK2RTB
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) September 23, 2025
They, together with the Utah Jazz, will be the two worst groups within the convention. He additionally acknowledged that the staff intends to make star Zion Williamson extra accountable. That is all nicely and good, however they need to have been doing that the entire time! Worse but, they’ve constructed a poor-fitting roster round him that is about to worsen.
The New Orleans Pelicans aren’t doing Zion Williamson any favors
What makes Dumars’ feedback baffling is that he traded the Pelicans’ 2026 first-round decide earlier than free company even started, giving Zion little assist. He traded the twenty third decide within the 2025 NBA Draft, in addition to an unprotected 2026 first, to the Atlanta Hawks in trade for the choice that grew to become Derik Queen.
Queen is anticipated to overlook the beginning of subsequent season, making the transfer all of the extra questionable. Particularly now that Dumars admits that the Pelicans could not make the playoffs. The Pelicans giving up an unprotected first in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft is loopy work contemplating how stacked the highest half of the draft actually is.
Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa are the three headliners, and all three gamers could possibly be multi-time all-stars. The Pelicans actually could not go fallacious with any of these gamers. Oh, however wait, they traded their decide away!
The Pelicans should maintain themselves and Zion Williamson accountable
Holding Zion accountable is a good suggestion along with his off-court points effervescent to the floor. Fortuitously for all concerned, Zion seems to be like a special particular person, displaying as much as Pelicans media day trying a lot slimmer than he has been.
He may even begin the season wholesome, one other strong signal. However, accountability goes each methods. The Pelicans have to do a a lot better job of constructing round Zion, and their newest strikes aren’t it.
In the end, if Zion is available in targeted and motivated, then he may make the Pelicans dramatically higher than anticipated. If he can, then the Pelicans should do a greater job of placing extra expertise round him. Each side want one another, they usually should maintain one another accountable.
