NBA: The winners and losers of the 2021 free agency period

Loser: New Orleans Pelicans

With an already disgruntled Zion Williamson, in only just after his second year with both the team and in this league, the New Orleans Pelicans failed to give their stars what they’ve been asking for.

In actuality, they did more damage to themselves this offseason than any help they might have made. To start off, the Pelicans let Lonzo Ball, a favorite to both fans and the team’s two All-Stars in Brandon Ingram and Zion, walk in free agency and sign a four-year deal with the Chicago Bulls.

Lonzo may not be what his father was telling us all he’d become from day 1, but he’s still a progressing young guard who clicked very well with the Pelicans roster. New Orleans tried to remedy this situation by grabbing DeVonte Graham from Charlotte, but the impact has been made and the void isn’t completely refilled.

Graham isn’t Lonzo, and the front office letting him walk is still simmering in their players. The Pelicans also traded Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, some picks to Memphis for Jonas Valanciunas in the mega-deal that sent DeVonte Graham to NOLA in the first place. New Orleans got the short end of the stick in both the trade game and in free agency, giving up so much just to acquire mid-level assets in Valanciunas and Graham that probably won’t be enough to replace what was lost or to sustain competitivity in the Western Conference.

It would appear the Pelicans are poised for another draft lottery season. Pelicans fans can only hope that Zion will still be happy enough to sign his rookie extension which he is eligible for after this coming season, but the future looks grim.