This coming offseason will be a pivotal moment in franchise history for the Pelicans.
I’m sure you’ve aware of the biggest deal to be consummated at the last trade deadline — the Pelicans landing DeMarcus Cousins — but it bears repeating: New Orleans road to a championship became clearer. The door to contenders status was locked before, yet now, the gateway is wide open.
The next step for the Pelicans is to find a way to push through that door before it closes shut again (i.e. when Boogie or AD’s contracts expire). The upcoming salary cap spike from $94 million to an expected $102 million will be the last big increase before the cap flat lines until at least the next television deal is signed.