15. New Orleans Pelicans
Are there any other NBA franchises that did as well as the Pelicans this summer? They deserve a medal.
If all they did was draft Zion Williamson, they would’ve had a phenomenal summer. But acquiring Zion was just the tip of the iceberg for NOLA. They also added Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker (possibly the most underrated player from the 2019 NBA Draft), Derrick Favors and J.J. Redick. That’s an unbelievable amount of really good players they added to their roster. Of course, they lost Anthony Davis. But how badly should they want a guy that doesn’t want them? Their relationship was unsalvagable.
Along with all of those incredible players, the Pelicans also have Jrue Holiday on their roster. He’s one of the best defenders in the league, he’s a great teammate, he’s an underrated offensive player and he’s incredibly unselfish. In other words, he’s the perfect guy to take Zion and Co. under his wing.
The Pelicans are starting fresh, but they won’t have to start at the bottom. They should be a middle-of-the-pack team in their first season with the newbies.