The Western Conference is expected to be a dogfight in the 2025\/26 season, with nearly every team making major improvements or already boasting rosters capable of contending for the postseason. One team that seems to have fallen behind the pack is the New Orleans Pelicans, a squad that shouldn\u2019t have expectations that are too high.<\/p>\n
The Pelicans\u2019 2024\/25 campaign was a huge disappointment. At the start, they had Dejounte Murray \u2014 brought in to address their point guard issues \u2014 alongside Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram<\/a>. But injuries soon took their toll, with Williamson playing just 30 games and Ingram being traded to the Toronto Raptors after only 18. Murray, too, fractured his hand and then tore his Achilles tendon in January, effectively ending any hopes the Pelicans had of a decent season. They finished with a 21-61 record, their worst since 2012.<\/p>\n ESPN insiders Brian Windhorst, Tim MacMahon, and Tim Bontemps recently discussed what to expect from the Pelicans this coming season during a segment. Sadly for anyone still holding onto a shred of optimism, they all agree that this season could be even worse than last year.<\/p>\n One of the most confusing moves the Pelicans made<\/a> was sending an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Derik Queen.\u00a0\u201cAt best, we\u2019re projecting a top five pick going from the Pelicans to the Hawks in the Derik Queen draft night trade,\u201d Bontemps said<\/a> on\u00a0The Hoop Collective. That\u2019s not what any fan base wants to hear, especially with some dynamic prospects expected in the 2026 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n The Pelicans\u2019 recent moves were even more puzzling. They traded for Jordan Poole<\/a> after using the seventh overall pick to draft Jeremiah Fears<\/a>. MacMahon didn\u2019t just echo Bontemps\u2019 confusion, he offered a brutally honest assessment of the team.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that the Pelicans are going to be the worst thing you can be in the NBA,\u201d McMahon opined. \u201cAnd that\u2019s a bad team that doesn\u2019t benefit from being bad.\u201d<\/p>\n In most cases, a team like the Washington Wizards <\/a>will bottom out\u00a0because they have valuable draft capital. But even though the Wizards didn\u2019t land a top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, they positioned themselves well to potentially secure one in the future.<\/p>\n