A ragtag gang of New Orleans Pelicans is starting to make their presence known. Frank Jackson and Cheick Diallo have stepped up from developmental prospects to useful rotation players returning the investment on their potential. Elfrid Payton, Jahlil Okafor, Julius Randle, and Kenrich Williams have circled their wagons around Jrue Holiday. Based on their effort and energy showing they care about giving it all every night, most New Orleans Pelicans fans would gladly take a transition year to give these loyal players more time to shine.
Julius Randle will be tough to bring back, as he is most assuredly going to decline his approximately $9 million player option this summer.