Rather unintentionally, the New Orleans Pelicans became a landing zone for Duke Blue Devils in recent years. An influx of Blue Devils last off-season, though, brought attention to “The Brotherhood” forming in New Orleans.
Already rostering Frank Jackson after drafting him and Jahlil Okafor after signing him in free agency, the Pelicans first added to their list of Blue Devils at the top by making Trajan Langdon the general manager in May.
Then came a slew of moves to the roster that quickly led to more former Durham residents setting up camp in the Big Easy. Trading for Brandon Ingram, drafting Zion Williamson and signing JJ Redick in a span of only a few weeks quickly added to the Blue Devils.
With the growing Blue Devil connections within the franchise, other Duke players and prospects have taken notice. In his media interview for the 2020 NBA Draft Combine, Duke’s Tre Jones spoke about the Pelicans and the group of Duke alums on the roster and in the front office.
“I actually know all of them. Most of them I know really well. JJ’s the oldest one, but after that, they’re all around my age. One of them obviously I played with.
“It would be extremely fun to be able to connect with those guys, to be able to play on the same team as them, and hopefully win games with those guys. Having Trajan Langdon in the front office would be amazing. It would be a Brotherhood Connect down there. Being able to play with those type of guys would be amazing. It would be a good connection, for sure.”
Jones teamed up alongside Williamson and though he did not play with any of Ingram, Jackson, Redick or Okafor, it is commonplace for Duke alums to return to campus for games and workouts in the offseason.
By most parties, Jones is considered a late first- or early second-round prospect. The Pelicans have a handful of second-round picks this season at No. 39 and No. 42. He could potentially be in the Pelicans range, but whether he fits a need is another question.
With a host of guards on the roster, ironically, Jones would likely only make sense on the roster if the team did not bring back Jackson, a restricted free agent.
[lawrence-related id=26138,26124,26118]