New Orleans Pelicans
It’s not often that teams trade their best player and still find themselves in the improved category, but the Pelicans proved to be an exception to that assertion.
Despite trading franchise cornerstone Anthony Davis, the Pelicans surprisingly had a strong offseason to offset the trade. While surrendering Davis to the Los Angeles, New Orleans received Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks. Ball, the No. 2 pick of the 2017 Draft, has flashed moments of talent that show his vast potential, yet injuries have kept him from being the franchise-changer the Lakers thought he would be.
Ingram, who was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, possesses a large amount of scoring ability, yet inconsistency and injuries have limited him as well.
The Pelicans used their three first-round picks on Duke phenom Zion Williamson, Texas center Jaxson Hayes, and Virginia Tech point guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, further accelerating their youth movement. Also, the team added veterans, Derrick Favors and J.J. Redick, to go with mainstay Jrue Holiday, giving the team legitimate playoff aspirations this season.
Kudos to the Pels from emerging as a huge winner during the NBA offseason shuffle.