New Orleans Pelicans Have Several Important Dates Fans Need To Keep an Eye On

There are a few important dates for the New Orleans Pelicans that fans should be aware of.

Dec 28, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, left, talks to New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. before a game against the Utah Jazz at the Smoothie King Center. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans have a lot of question marks surrounding the franchise entering training camp this year. With Media Day on Monday, it was the first time some of the new players were together.

Easily the biggest question is what the future will hold for Brandon Ingram. Without a long-term extension, his name is going to pop up in trade rumors consistently. He no longer seems to fit with the current core and a trad would be best for both sides.

Alas, his extension isn’t the only one people are keeping an eye on.

As the calendar gets ready to flip to October, we are getting dangerously close to the deadline for Trey Murphy’s rookie-scale extension.

A first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft out of Virginia, the talented two-way wing is ready to break out. But, as long as Ingram remains in the fold, projections will remain tepid as they play the same position.

The first important date to keep an eye on for Pelicans fans is October 21st.

That is the last day that Murphy and CJ McCollum are eligible for their extensions. The window for the veteran shooting guard to talk about a long-term deal opened on September 26th.

Given that the franchise has never paid the luxury tax in its existence, it is hard to envision McCollum getting an extension before that deadline. Being 33 years old, with two years remaining on his contract and an undefined role heading inot the 2024-25 campaign, a new deal is unlikely.

Another date to keep an eye on is October 31st. Halloween is the deadline to make a decision about the third-year team option on the rookie contract of Jordan Hawkins.

The team’s first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft out of UConn has shown that he has NBA shooting ability. But, the rest of his game still needs some time to develop.

In the NBA 2K25 Summer League 2024 in Las Vegas, Hawkins was tasked with being the team’s point guard. It was a disastrous experiment, but he is still someone who can help the team with his shooting ability.

We will see New Orleans on the court for the first time this preseason on October 7th when they face off against the Orlando Magic for their only home game. The regular season will tip off on October 23rd at home against the Chicago Bulls before a four-game road trip against the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors.