How Do New Orleans Pelicans Stack Up Against Other Teams Over Next Three Years?

What is the outlook for the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Future Power Rankings?

Mar 26, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall (8) jumps in the huddle before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Smoothie King Center. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans made some big changes to their roster during the 2024 NBA offseason.

Their biggest splash was acquiring Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. He will present a massive upgrade for the team, as they should improve with the talented two-way guard in the fold.

Alas, this roster is not yet complete.

The Pelicans have to figure out a resolution to the Brandon Ingram situation, whether it is paying him on a contract extension or trading him. Trey Murphy is also eligible for an extension with a deadline of the eve of the 2024-25 regular season.

Until that situation is figured out, head coach Willie Green is going to have some difficult lineup decisions to make.

If New Orleans could land a center in a return package for Ingram, they would be in business. Right now, that is the only real void in their rotation; everywhere else is deep and talented with a mix of established veterans and young emerging contributors.

Considered a middle-of-the-road team that will compete for a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament again in the Western Conference, how does the future look for the franchise?

Similar to the current day.

Over at ESPN, future power rankings were put together. Players, management, money, market and draft capital were all taken into consideration when putting the rankings together.

The Pelicans came in at No. 16, moving up one spot from last year. Draft was their best category, ranking ninth. Players and money were the only others in the top half of the league at Nos. 14 and 15, respectively.

Management and the market were both underwhelming at Nos. 20 and 25.

“The Pelicans once again land in the middle of this list after a season that saw them make the in-season tournament semifinals and get the healthiest season yet of Zion Williamson's career. But a hamstring strain forced Williamson to miss the Pelicans' entire four-game sweep to the Thunder. Adding Dejounte Murray via trade both boosted the team's player score (17th to 14th) but dropped its draft score (fifth to ninth), leading to New Orleans essentially standing pat,” wrote Tim Botemps of ESPN.

Fans cannot even blame a low market for their inability to surge up the rankings. Not only is it tied for the least impactful of the categories along with draft and money at 8.3 percent, but other small markets have found a way to jump up.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, with a market of 27, are No. 1 in the rankings. The Minnesota Timberwolves, who are No. 29 in market, are No. 8 overall, making a big jump up from No. 19 last year.