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The New Orleans Pelicans were seen as a team in a state of limbo entering the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament. A handful of big wins have raised the stakes this offseason as the Pelicans look to improve upon their first round exit from the 2024 NBA Playoffs at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The young Thunder swept the Pels, now the onus is on the front office to give the current core of players and Coach Willie Green some additional help. On the afternoon of May 25, 2024, the Pelicans decided to shuffle their front office a bit, promoting Bryson Graham to the team’s prestigious General Manager position.
The move happened after Trajan Langdon left the same position to become General Manager of the Detroit Pistons. A well known and respected member of the Pelicans’ training staff also left the team.
Graham’s outlook as Pelicans GM
Graham has been with the organization since 2010 and was named the Pels’ assistant general manager in 2019.
He played at Texas A&M from 2006-2009 and was a graduate assistant under former Maryland Terrapins Head Coach Mark Turgeon before hopping aboard the Pelicans’ train.
Other roles Graham has served in include Player Development Director, Video Coordinator/Player Development Coach, Scouting Coordinator, and Director of College Scouting.
Pelicans’ offseason question marks
The Pelicans have a lot to sort out heading into the 2024-2025 offseason and NBA Draft.
The team’s leading postseason scorer CJ McCollum nonetheless let the Pelicans down in key moments. Zion Williamson’s injury concerns and missing of key games are a constant problem and second leading scorer Brandon Ingram’s time in New Orleans appears to be coming to an end, barring a new commitment to the longtime face of the franchise.
Ingram has just one year left on his contract with the team and could be dealt to make run for a roster reshuffling and reimagining. He has been mentioned in trade rumors. It’s anyone’s guess whether Graham will follow through on them.
The Pelicans’ current rebuilding and reimagining job will not be an easy one. The team is talented but still appears in need of a serious makeover to become a true contender in the West. Graham has the experience and the knowhow to turn the Pelicans into one of the top teams in the West, but he won’t be able to do it without Zion Williamson’s best effort and more than a few shrewd moves this offseason and beyond.
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