For some NBA fans, teams either go up or down. They either win games, or they lose them. The truth is that while there is “up and down” there is also side-ways, back-wards, and upside-down.
The Pelicans could make a move to go up or down, but choosing between what they do with their long-term flexibility or their team culture are the real indicators of where they are headed.
For instance, the Pelicans deciding to take a “win now” approach doesn’t necessarily mean one thing. A “win now” move could be a few quick-fix type trades (think Norris Cole and Quincy Pondexter), or it could mean a drastic revision of this teams entire core (think the Jrue and Tyreke trades in 2013).