5. New Orleans Pelicans - Tre Johnson, G/F, Texas
Heading into the start of the season, there was some promise that the New Orleans Pelicans could emerge as somewhat of a dark horse threat in the Western Conference to shake things up. However, it didn't take long for injuries to take a massive toll on the Pelicans. Because of those injuries, the Pelicans find themselves in a pretty familiar position - on the path back to the lottery. While there is a chance the Pelicans could get healthy and fight out of this position to finish with a top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, it also wouldn't be surprising if this is how things played out this season.
If the Pelicans were to get such a high pick, Tre Johnson out of Texas could be in play for the already deep team. During the first few games of his freshman season at Texas, Johnson is averaging 24 points and three rebounds on 59 percent shooting from the field and 59 percent shooting from 3-point range. Johnson looks like a natural scorer with the potential to develop into a star at the next level. In the right system, there's no reason to believe that Johnson can't be a great player right away.
What is the biggest issue for the New Orleans Pelicans?
The cop-out answer would be to say that the biggest issue for the New Orleans Pelicans is their lack of health. While that may be true, there is another dark cloud that surrounds this team at the moment. That revolves around the future of Brandon Ingram. With rumors running rampant during the offseason, that's still an issue that both sides will have to figure out by the end of the season, perhaps even by the NBA Trade Deadline. Because of the uncertainty that revolves around Ingram's future with the team, the pick of Johnson would make even more sense.
If nothing else, the Pelicans could use Johnson as another young player with some star upside. I'm not sure if Johnson would be in a position to completely fill the role of Ingram by himself but adding another talented offensive wing player like him could help cushion the blow of losing him during the offseason (if the two sides can't come to an agreement). Either way, there are multiple reasons why Johnson seems like a smart pick for the Pelicans.