Most Glaring Roster Hole Pelicans Must Fill This Offseason

The New Orleans Pelicans have a big offseason ahead of them after playing well under expectations for the second straight season. This time around, they don't have a lottery pick in the draft, either. So, they have to nail their moves in free agency and the trade market, but don't necessarily have the financial flexibility or assets to do so.

With the limited resources they do have, however, what the Pelicans need to do is obvious: find a defensive-minded starting-quality center.

Pelicans Have No Choice But to Sign a Defensive Center

Of course, that was the idea when the Pelicans signed Kevon Looney last offseason. That went very poorly as Looney fell out of the rotation after the first month of the season. With the Pelicans unlikely to exercise the team option on Looney, the glaring hole at center will only grow.

Yves Missi is the only true center on the roster coming back for next season. While he has proven himself to be a solid backup option in his second season, the Pelicans need more depth and quality in the position. President of basketball operations Joe Dumars said that the team wants to get bigger and tougher in the offseason, highlighting what the front office's priority will be this summer.

This need was made even more obvious after Dumars revealed that the team has no intention of trading Zion Williamson.

If Williamson is in fact returning to New Orleans, the Pelicans have to put a center who can rebound and protect the rim next to him. The 25-year-old power forward has taken strides in his health and availability, but has taken no steps forward in his defense or rebounding.

The same is true for Derik Queen. The talented big man showed flashes of elite upside as an offensive player in his rookie season, but he struggles in the same aspects of the game: toughness, rebounding, and interior defense.

Therefore, the player the Pelicans need to acquire has to be able to play next to Williamson and Queen separately.

The problem here is that neither Williamson nor Queen can shoot the ball. This creates floor-spacing issues on the offensive end. Finding a defensive center who can also shoot and space the floor on the other end of the floor is very difficult, especially with the resources the Pelicans have.

So, the Pelicans will have to make a decision on the traits they want to prioritize in their starting center next season. They may have to sacrifice their offense to ensure they have a defensive anchor behind Queen and Williamson. Otherwise, it will be another frustrating season defensively for the Pelicans.