Pelicans Vow To Still Be 'Aggressive' This Offseason

Pelicans believe there are a myriad of ways to improve their roster that they will explore this summer.

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. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans, LA - The first round of the NBA Draft passed with little fanfare for the New Orleans Pelicans. They drafted former Baylor center Yves Missi with the No. 21 pick. Missi had ties to the Pelicans in most mock drafts, and new Pelicans General Manager Bryson Graham said they were impressed with Missi from visits to Baylor last October. Most pre-draft chatter surrounded whether the Pelicans would make any trades, especially one centering around forward Brandon Ingram.

Ingram is eligible for a max four-year, $208 million contract extension. Reports are Ingram and his camp refuses to take less than the max, causing speculation that New Orleans is entertaining potential trade suitors. Pelicans' Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, David Griffin, addressed the media to update the progress of those extension talks with Ingram.

"Brandon (Ingram) wants to stay here. He believes in what we're building," Griffin told reporters. "That's meaningful to us. At the same time, there's a financial reality we all deal with. We're excited about Brandon. We know he's excited about us."

Mar 15, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green talks with forward Brandon Ingram (14) after the game against the LA Clippers at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Griffin didn't elaborate on how extension talks were progressing but revealed there had been communication with Ingram's camp. The decision about Ingram seems to put the Pelicans at a crossroads for the future. New Orleans is coming off its best season since 2008, but barely made the Western Conference playoffs as a No. 8 seed. Despite Zion Williamson playing the most games of his career (70) and Ingram playing the most (64) since his rookie season, the Pelicans needed a Play-In victory against the Sacramento Kings to eek into the playoffs.

Williamson's hamstring injury against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first NBA Play-In Tournament game sidelined him for the remainder of the Pelicans season. New Orleans was swept out of the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder in a terrible offensive showing for the Pelicans without Williamson. The next big decision is whether the front office thinks this team as presently constructed has any chance to compete in the crowded Western Conference.

11 of the 15 Western Conference teams were .500 or above last season, compared to eight in the Eastern Conference. Two of the four teams are expected to be markedly better next season, with Ja Morant back fully from injury and suspension for the Memphis Grizzlies and rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama a year older and better for the San Antonio Spurs.

Griffin acknowledged the need to be better in April after the Pelican's playoff defeat to the Thunder. He said this would not be a summer of 'complacency' and echoed similar sentiments on Wednesday, but preached for some patience as things develop.

"I don't think we came into this believing in the offseason that the way we are going to get better was to be on the sidelines. I think we're going to be fairly aggressive." Griffin continued, "It's interesting, everytime these things happen, everyone thinks these things have to be done by the draft or they have to be done by July 6th. Your roster is not set until training camp starts and even then it's not. We're going to continue to look for opportunities to try to cash in on the right people at the right time. Yves (Missi) is just one step in that."