Entering the offseason without their first-round pick, without any real salary cap flexibility, and lacking viable trade chips, the Pelicans had a pair of clear, achievable goals: Re-sign DeMarcus Cousins and re-sign Rajon Rondo. Depending on the price tags for Cousins and Rondo in free agency, it appeared there was a path to bringing both of them back without going into luxury tax territory.
Within the first two days of free agency, however, the Pels had lost both Cousins and Rondo. While that outcome was a little unexpected, it ended up not being a total disaster. New Orleans was able to find a younger, more affordable duo in Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton.
With little margin for error in a hyper-competitive Western Conference, the ability of Randle and Payton to slot into those lineup spots vacated by Cousins and Rondo will go a long way toward determining the Pelicans’ upside in 2018/19.
Key offseason losses:
The in-season acquisition of Cousins at the 2017 trade deadline didn’t pay major dividends for the Pelicans, but the team got a glimpse of the big man’s upside during the first half of the 2017/18 campaign. In 48 games, Cousins put up a monster stat line that included 25.2 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.6 BPG, and 1.6 SPG.
A torn Achilles ended his season early though, and that injury played a significant part in the Pelicans and Cousins parting ways over the summer. The Pelicans almost certainly would’ve bid more aggressively on a healthy Cousins who isn’t expected to miss half the 2018/19 season — in that scenario, there’s no way he would’ve settled for a $5.4MM offer from the Warriors as he looks to rebuild his value. That Achilles injury also gave the Pelicans a glimpse of what their lineup looked like without him, and the success they had down the stretch and in the postseason softened the blow of his departure.
Despite Cousins’ eye-popping numbers, it may be Rondo whose departure impacts New Orleans most significantly. By all accounts, the veteran point guard was a model teammate, leader, and locker-room influence during his lone season with the Pelicans. Rondo was steady during the regular season (8.3 PPG, 8.2 APG) and excellent in the playoffs (10.3 PPG, 12.2 APG, .421 3PT%), and his ability to handle the point allowed Jrue Holiday to play off the ball more than ever.
While Cousins and Rondo were the Pelicans’ most noteworthy losses, the team will also have to account for the departures of DeAndre Liggins and Emeka Okafor, who were decent role players for the team last season.
I was a little surprised at New Orleans’ willingness to waive Liggins, given his solid defense and the Pelicans’ lack of reliable wings, but the 30-year-old journeyman has had trouble finding a permanent NBA home, appearing in regular season games for four teams over the past two seasons. As for Okafor, his comeback story was a good one and his work fortifying the Pelicans’ frontcourt after Cousins went down was laudable, but his release didn’t come as a shock.
Key offseason additions:
In 49 starts for the Lakers last season, Randle looked like a poor man’s Cousins, averaging 18.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 3.1 APG. Randle isn’t as dynamic a playmaker or as reliable a rim protector as Cousins, but his age (24 in November) and his health are points in his favor. He should be a nice fit alongside Anthony Davis.
I’m less bullish on the signing of Payton, who has been inconsistent on defense and hasn’t developed a reliable jump shot. At just $3MM for one year, the signing is low-risk, but if the Pelicans want to keep Holiday off the ball again this season, Payton will be relied upon for significant minutes, since the team’s other point guard options (Frank Jackson, Darius Morris, Jarrett Jack) are unproven or uninspiring.
One key factor involved in the additions of Randle and Payton is the Pelicans’ desire to play with pace. New Orleans was already running with Cousins in the lineup, ranking sixth in the NBA in pace when he tore his Achilles, but the club took it to another level down the stretch, finishing the season as the league’s No. 1 team in terms of pace. Randle and Payton are known for their athleticism and certainly won’t slow the Pelicans down at all this season, which should make them a fun team to watch.
The Pelicans didn’t make any trades this offseason and didn’t invest heavily in any other free agents, but it will be interesting to see which of the club’s camp invitees on non-guaranteed contracts make the regular season roster. Jahlil Okafor, Troy Williams, Morris, and Jack all have NBA experience, and at least two of those players – if not more – figure to stick around.
Outlook for 2018/19:
After improving their record by 14 wins in 2017/18 and winning their first playoff series in a decade, the Pelicans entered the offseason thinking about retaining their core and adding a complementary piece or two. Instead, they lost two of their most important pieces, replacing them with a pair of young veterans who have yet to play a single postseason game.
Davis is one of the NBA’s very best players, and he and Holiday should keep the Pelicans in the playoff conversation this year. But the club will be asking for a lot from Randle and Payton, and it remains to be seen what sort of impact the newcomers will have in New Orleans.
If the Pelicans fall out of the top eight in the West in 2018/19, it will only increase the Davis trade speculation going forward, so the franchise has a lot riding on this season’s performance. It will be fascinating to see if New Orleans can continue to take steps forward or if some regression is in store for the club.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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