The New Orleans Pelicans have three players inside The Ringer’s current Top 100, and the balance of power in that group is starting to look a little different.
For a while, Zion Williamson was the obvious center of everything in New Orleans. He was the face of the franchise, the former top pick carrying the spotlight while the rest of the roster filled in around him. That picture has changed some lately, with another Pelicans star making a strong push of his own.
The Ringer’s list is still being updated, and with the season approaching, another refresh should be coming soon. Before that happens, the Pelicans’ placement is worth a look.
Dejounte Murray comes in at No. 89.
It’s easy to overlook him because of how much time he missed, but there was a stretch when Murray was one of the NBA’s top guards. He made the All-Star team in 2021/2022 and earned a spot on the All-Defense second team in 17/18.
New Orleans gave up a package that included Dyson Daniels and two first-round picks to get him, and the deal has yet to fully pay off because of his injury. When he got back on the floor last season, he already looked sharp, and there’s plenty of curiosity about what he’ll look like after a full offseason and a clean bill of health.
Trey Murphy sits all the way up at No. 49, and he may be the Pelicans player most likely to jump Williamson in the next update. His stock has risen fast this offseason, and he drew plenty of interest around the league as one of the wings teams wanted most.
New Orleans, though, put a steep price on him, reportedly asking for three to four first-round picks. The 25-year-old’s calling card is clear: elite-volume, elite-efficiency three-point shooting.
Last season he averaged 21.5 points and hit 47.0/37.9/88.6 shooting splits while taking a career-high 8.6 threes per game.
Williamson is still listed ahead of him at No. 48, and he remains the team’s top player for this ranking. He took a real step forward last season and earned credit for it.
His teammates kept talking about his maturity and leadership throughout the year, a welcome shift after the last few seasons. As long as he’s on the court, he can get to the rim whenever he wants, and he remains one of the league’s most efficient scorers.
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The bigger question now is how long that patience lasts. Williamsons talent has never been in doubt, and the Pelicans have consistently had to weigh his upside against the realities that have followed him from season to season. With the offseason noise quieting down, the organization is still sitting on one of the NBAs most significant decisions, and the lack of movement only makes the next step feel more consequential. [Read more 🡒]
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Kobe Bufkin may end up as a third-string answer, yet that only underscores how thin the safety net is if injuries hit or the rotation gets reshuffled. For a team trying to build something sturdier around its backcourt, the lack of a clean backup point guard solution could become more than a side issue. It is the kind of roster wrinkle that does not always show up right away, but can start to shape how the entire rotation holds together. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans May Finally Have A Real Chance To Reshape Zions Roster
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New Orleans expects to clear roughly $40 million from the contracts of Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey, though Bey could still be in line for an extension. That kind of flexibility would give the front office a real chance to chase bigger names in free agency, and players such as Michael Porter Jr. and RJ Barrett are already part of the conversation as the Pelicans look for ways to better shape the roster around Zion Williamson. [Read more 🡒]