At the Pelicans press conference in early July, Demps made it clear that Jrue was at the top of their priorities in free agency. “We’re excited to have Jrue back in New Orleans,” the General Manager said. “Since the outset of free agency, he’s been our number one priority … On the court we feel Jrue defines the two-way player. We believe his best years are in front of him.”
Plenty of optimism was present on that day from the organisation. People were far more sceptical outside, with many poking fun at the Pelicans for committing so much money to such an unproven commodity.