New Orleans Pelicans Predicted to Make Move to Continue Ducking the Tax

The New Orleans Pelicans are predicted to continue making moves that will keep them under the tax threshold.

Sep 26, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin during a press conference at the New Orleans Pelicans Media Day from the Smoothie King Center / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

As the offseason continues to roll on, the New Orleans Pelicans still have a clear need on their roster they ideally would address before the upcoming year begins.

Whether or not they can get something done will be seen.

Making a trade seems like the most obvious route to take if they are going to upgrade their center position now that virtually all of the starting-caliber players at that position have found a home, but with one of their most desired targets now signing a deal that prevents him from being moved, their options have become limited.

At this point in time, all indications are the Pelicans will go into the season with Daniel Theis as their starting big man, and the rookies Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic backing him up.

Executive David Griffin mentioned how they want to utilize a small-ball lineup more often, and if this is how their roster is constructed for the opener, then that is exactly what they will deploy.

How New Orleans might operate moving forward after acquiring Dejounte Murray is what Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report took a look at when analyzing how each team will operate regarding the salary cap.

"The Pelicans are another franchise notorious for ducking the tax ... Look for New Orleans to follow a similar path, though that may be in a larger move centered around Brandon Ingram since paying to keep him long-term may be similarly taxing," he wrote.

Ideally for the front office, they would be able to include Brandon Ingram in a package that would land them the starting center they seemingly have been searching for this summer, however, there have not been a lot of teams interested in acquiring him.

Based on everything that has transpired, or hasn't, it seems like the Pelicans aren't going to be much more active before things get started in camp during October.