The New Orleans Pelicans have a tumultuous off-season in the eyes of many NBA fans and executives alike. Failing to re-sign Lonzo Ball was the tip of the iceberg, followed by a lackluster free agency period and more rumors being hurled around than at a high school lunch table.
The growing tensions of the team can be attributed to two individuals: Zion Williamson and David Griffin. The moment the ping pong balls bounced in favor of the Pelicans in 2019, many have speculated Zion would not be committed long-term to the franchise. New Orleans is a small market with a checkered front-office history that showed multiple times in the previous decade that they struggled to build around a generational star.