New Orleans Pelicans
1 Bold prediction: The New Orleans Pelicans will trade Zion Williamson and keep Brandon Ingram
Having been decimated by injuries so far this season, the New Orleans Pelicans will need to make a big decision about their future this summer. While they may have a talented roster on paper, this is a team that clearly has some big issues. And I'm not even sure they're only about the injuries that they've had to work through this year. At the heart of the questions that the Pelicans will have to answer is whether this core has championship potential. Or, at the very least, the potential to be very good down the road.
To be perfectly honest, I'm not exactly sure what the answer to that question is. But with the latest whispers suggesting that the Pelicans could be open for change, it would not be surprising to see a bold move from the team during the 2025 calendar year. Heading into the new year, one bold prediction that I have for the Pelicans is that they will trade Zion Williamson and re-sign Brandon Ingram. It's certainly not an expected move and would absolutely alter the team's plans as they continue to build out the roster.
New York Knicks
1 Bold prediction: The New York Knicks will not make the Eastern Conference Finals - again
After the big moves that the New York Knicks made during the offseason, it was clear that this team was all-in on winning a championship this year. And over the last few weeks, we've seen this team play better and better. They're starting to look like a complete team that is going to have a strong chance of winning it all. Whether they'll be able to do so remains to be seen but there's no question that this team has put themselves in a great position to, at the very least, compete with the other contenders in the conference.
My one bold prediction for the Knicks is that, despite their supremely talented roster, this team will not make the Eastern Conference Finals. The drought will continue for the Knicks as the East playoffs are likely going to be even more competitive than it was this past season. New York hasn't made the conference finals in more than 20 years and I don't envision that changing this year. The Knicks are talented but may still be missing the depth to make a true championship run.