The league has taken advantage of them. The Pelicans two transactions have plunged the team into a quagmire and caused heavy losses. Where is the future?

In the NBA, every year there are teams that squander draft picks, probably just to get a high-ranking pick. For example, the previous Thunder team, after having Alexander, selected two core players, Chet and Jaylen Williams, within one year. The team took off immediately and won the championship last season.

The Pelicans should have had an excellent opportunity like the Thunder, but they ruined it in vain. Williamson, the No. 1 pick in 19 years this season, finally has a healthy body after successfully losing weight. He has currently played in 5 games, averaging 31.4 per game. Minutes, he can get 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists. At the same time, the team already has high-quality team players such as Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones. If one or two more core players are added, the team may even have a chance to hit the championship in the future.

The Pelicans currently have a record of 0 wins and 6 losses, and are the only team in the Western Conference that has not won a victory. At the same time, 2026 is recognized as a big year for the draft. Both Cameron Boozer and Di Bansa have the potential to become league superstars. Combining the two, people will inevitably think that the Pelicans are chasing the No. 1 pick, but it is a pity that the Pelicans will not have their own draft picks next year.

What is regrettable is that the Pelicans had a very high possibility of getting two high-ranking draft picks. During the playoffs last season, the Pacers used the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 first round + Mohave King's signing rights to trade with the Pelicans to obtain their 2026 first-round pick.

At the time of the transaction, people did not think there was anything wrong with the deal. After all, the Pelicans received the first-round pick a year earlier, which would be of great benefit to them in building a new lineup. However, not long after the deal was concluded, Haliburton, the core of the Pacers, suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury during the game. After receiving treatment, it was determined that he would be reimbursed for the 25-26 season.

The Pacers are currently ranked second to last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 1 win and 5 losses. If the pick is still in the hands of the Pelicans at that time, then after the end of this season, they are likely to receive a top ten pick in the first round, or even the top five picks.

After losing this future first-round pick, the Pelicans once again made a bad deal in this year's draft. They used the 23rd pick in their hands, paired with next year's first round, to reach a deal with the Hawks, and got the 13th pick in the first round of 2025, and acquired Derek Quinn.

Putting aside the rookie Quinn, let’s look at the Pelicans’ deal now. With their record of 0 wins and 6 losses, they are likely to be among the top three teams in the league at the end of this season. Then the team will have a 14% probability of winning the No. 1 pick. If the team’s final record ranks first in the league, then they will be guaranteed a top-five pick.

The trade value of these two high-ranking draft picks that should have been in the hands of the Pelicans cannot be compensated by a rookie Quinn at all. Although before the draft, Quinn became one of the players with the most comprehensive inside offensive skills among the 25th player class. The official template was also for All-Star players like Randall and Shen Jing.

However, after the joint trial training in Chicago, Quinn's predicted ranking dropped again and again. His height of 2.08 meters ranked at the bottom of the trial players in terms of jumping and lateral movement. This made players interested in choosing him very worried about his future growth ceiling.

In the 6 games that have ended, Quinn's performance has been very average. Compared with popular rookies such as VJ Edgecomb, Trey Johnson, and Cowherd, Quinn averaged 17.5 minutes per game, only 7.3 points and 4.8 rebounds, and his shooting percentage was 44.1%. For an inside player, the efficiency is not outstanding.

So the Pelicans may have missed an excellent comeback opportunity in the future because of their two transactions. All of this is inseparable from its newly appointed general manager Joe Dumars. Although Joe Dumars had a very brilliant resume as a player, judging from his operations since taking office, there is indeed a huge difference between leading a team and managing a team! What do you think of the Pelicans' two moves? Welcome to leave a message for discussion!