The New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in a terrific position for the future for a multitude of reasons. For one, the young core of the Pelicans quickly established itself not only as one of the best young groups in the league but also a group capable of making the playoffs.
Secondly, the draft capital gained in the blockbuster trade with the Lakers on top of the move to deal with Atlanta on draft night gives the team a bevy of picks in the upcoming years. Those assets can either be used to draft players or, more likely, be packaged in a trade for a superstar.
Lastly, the team will have cap space moving forward. Depending on the cap gymnastics this upcoming offseason with big cap holds on for both Brandon Ingram and Derrick Favors, the Pelicans could have up to $27 million in cap space.
What they do with that cap space could determine if the team makes a leap next season. Given the vastness of the team’s young core, there are few holes in the rotation not filled by a promising prospect.
It makes the decision-making process all the more critical and interesting when it comes to free agency this upcoming off-season. Here’s a look at three players the Pelicans could target in free agency.