Pelicans face many offseason challenges in quest to join NBA’s elite

Two days after their season came to an end, New Orleans Pelicans General Manager Dell Demps and Head Coach Alvin Gentry held court to put a bow on the 2017-18 campaign and foreshadow the team’s plans to improve on its 48 wins and unexpected trip to the Western Conference Semifinals.

While Gentry and Demps said all the right things regarding plans to improve the roster, doing so will be no easy task.

Both men expressed their desire to retain key free agents Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins, while also adding depth, length and versatility to help the Pelicans narrow the gap between themselves and the league’s elite teams.

This season, the New Orleans payroll was sixth in the NBA at nearly $121 million. The Pelicans already have $96,951,257 in salary commitments for 2018-19 for 10 players.

With a league salary cap projected at $101 million (final numbers won’t be released until July), that leaves the Pelicans with very little room to maneuver in improving the roster.

Demps, who has earned the nickname “Dealin’ Dell” for his many moves over the years, will have to be more creative than ever this offseason.

The Pelicans sent their first round pick to Chicago in the Niko Mirotić trade, leaving them with only a second round choice.

So what options are available to the Pelicans?

First, let’s take a look at the guys that we know are coming back…

Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, and Niko Mirotić.

That’s it. That’s the list.

All three are under contract and Davis and Holiday are untouchable, with Mirotić slightly less so.

Both Davis and Holiday are coming off the best seasons of their careers and Mirotić proved himself to be a multi-talented “stretch four” who could produce as a starter or as a reserve.

The Pelicans have seven other players currently under contract: Solomon Hill, E’Twaun Moore, Alexis Ajinca, Darius Miller, Cheick Diallo, Frank Jackson, and Emeka Okafor.

Each of those players’ fate is tied to their contract as much as their contribution to the team. If not more so.

If depth and length are the offseason priorities, there’s no way the entire supporting cast returns intact.

Hill missed most of the season recovering from a hamstring injury, and when he returned he was largely ineffective. He was a step slow, had little lift, and his shooting went from suspect to awful. With two years and more than $25 million remaining on his contract, he is not an attractive trade asset. Yes, no one thought Omer Asik could be moved either, but there isn’t a number one pick to throw in to sweeten any deal for Hill.

E’Twaun Moore had a very good season playing out of position as the Pelicans’ forward. He averaged a career-high 12.5 points per game and converted better than 42 percent from deep. Moore is best suited as a backup shooting guard, but his greatest value may be as a potential trade piece.

Ajinca missed the entire season with injury and is entering the final year of his contract. Clearly, he’s not part of the Pelicans’ on-court future. He may end up being trade bait as well; or at least a throw in as an expiring deal.

Darius Miller had his moments and ended up shooting 41 percent from long distance. Miller was a pleasant surprise in the first half of the season, but after the Cousins injury his shooting dropped off. If his shot isn’t falling, he doesn’t provide much else. He’s not a great defender or rebounder, and struggles to finish at the rim. The forward is also entering the final year of his contract and could have appeal as a trade candidate in a league that always needs shooting.

Chieck Diallo showed real signs of improvement in his second season. After seeing action in just 17 games as a rookie, Diallo played in 52 contests this year. But he was also terribly inconsistent; displaying a deft shooting touch to 15 feet on some nights, and picking up quick, cheap fouls on others. It is unlikely that the franchise is ready to give up on him just yet, knowing he was a project when he was drafted. However, if the right deal comes along, Diallo’s relatively low salary and room for improvement could make him a definite commodity in a large deal.

Point guard Frank Jackson is a question mark. Demps had enough faith in the youngster from Duke that he moved up to snag him in the second round. Foot injuries have kept Jackson from competitive game action for more than a year. The team expects big things from him this season, and announced that he will be a part of the team’s summer league squad. Hopefully they’re right, because if Jackson lives up to the hype, he could be a young Jrue Holiday. If he doesn’t, the Pelicans will be on the market for a backup point guard.

The Pelicans won Emeka Okafor’s first 10 starts, as they tied the franchise record for consecutive victories. He was quite the redemption story after missing four full seasons due to injury. Okafor provided a solid interior presence and allowed Davis to take early minutes at his preferred power forward position. As the Pelicans pace increased though, their need for Okafor decreased. In the playoffs, there were no favorable matchups for him at all. With the Pelicans so thin in the front court, the team will likely keep him around for his experience and still formidable skills as a rebounder.

Preparing to head into free agency are DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, Jordan Crawford, Ian Clark, and DeAndre Liggins.

Cousins is the biggest name and the biggest decision for the Pelicans. Cousins was impressive his first season in New Orleans, averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks. In 48 games with Cousins on the floor, the Pels were 27-21 (.562) good enough for fourth in the West at the time of his injury. Before he was hurt, resigning Boogie was a foregone conclusion. Now, there are huge questions that must be asked entering negotiations with the All-Star.

● How much of the pre-injury Cousins can the Pelicans reasonably expect to get next season?
● How much game action is he expected to miss?
● Is Cousins willing to accept a lesser role in the offense next season to allow Davis and Holiday to continue to flourish?
● How well will he mesh with Mirotić?
● How much weight do you give the Pelicans’ 20-8 record down the stretch without Cousins or the fact that New Orleans lost to only one team under .500 after the Mirotic trade?

Cousins is a rare talent, but offering tens of millions of guaranteed dollars to anyone requires heavy consideration. His signing alone would put the Pelicans near the luxury tax limit. If he’s healthy and he can fit in with the Pelicans offense and defense, he could make New Orleans a more dangerous team. But, if Cousins is either unable to fully recover or is unhappy with a new role, moving him for anything near his value at that point would be extremely difficult. No matter what, don’t expect Cousins to receive more than a three-year deal with the Pelicans, either to retain him or as part of a sign-and-trade with another team.

Not many players were thrown as many accolades at the press conference as Rajon Rondo. He was frequently compared to Davis and Holiday due to his masterful operation of the Pelicans’ high-octane attack. After a few seasons as an NBA nomad, Rondo seems to have found a home in New Orleans. Gentry made it very clear that resigning their point guard is a priority.

To do that the Pelicans know that they’ll have to pay more than the $3.3 million they did last season, as Rondo’s value has increased; not only for the Pelicans, but league wide. Rondo remains an elite passer and rebounder at his position at age 32, though he is a streaky shooter and an average defender.

Retaining him is a no-brainer, but it could cost the team more than one of their own free agents.

Ian Clark had his moments, and the team seems interested in bringing him back, but he won’t be a priority as long as the Rondo and Cousins situations are unresolved.

Jordan Crawford and DeAndre Liggins aren’t priorities at all. If either returns next season, it would be to fill out the roster or due to an injury.

Gentry and Demps were clear in their assessment of the current state of the Pelicans. This a good team, but not one yet ready to compete for a championship.

There are too many holes in the roster to truly close the gap between New Orleans and teams like Golden State, Houston, Boston, and whoever LeBron James suits up for next season.

Gentry described the first round playoff win as “fool’s gold,” and he was correct. There is work to be done.

This will be the most challenging offseason for Demps in his tenure with the Pelicans.

Looking further down the road, the franchise can see Anthony Davis’ impending free agency after the 2019-20 season. The wrong moves this summer would leave that reality hanging over the Smoothie King Center like the Sword of Damocles.