Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Jeremiah Fears stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the seventh pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Should Pelicans Reset and Build Around 2025 Rookies?

Originally posted on NBA Draft on SI | By Killian Wright | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 5:00 PM ET

In the summer of 2019, New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis forced his way out of town, demanding a trade that eventually landed him with the Los Angeles Lakers. Davis had been the face of the franchise for seven seasons, and the franchise's identity felt empty without him.

However, the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery shook out its ping pong balls in favor of the franchise, handing the Pelicans the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since the 2012 NBA Draft, which brought Davis to New Orleans.

With the No. 1 pick, the Pelicans selected Duke forward Zion Williamson to be the savior of the franchise, and he entered the NBA with arguably the most surrounding hype of any prospect since LeBron James. The future looked bright for the Pelicans, pairing Williamson with rising young star Brandon Ingram.

However, what ensued was over five seasons of overlapping injuries, roster-shuffling and playoff disappointments. Williamson and Ingram would play in just 154 games together in the era, and the team never made it out of the first round of the playoffs –– missing it altogether in four of the six seasons.

On Feb. 6, 2025, the Pelicans would separate the duo, trading Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors to officially end the Williamson-Ingram era in New Orleans. The Pelicans finished the 2024-2025 season with a 21-61 record, landing the No. 7 overall pick and later trading for the No. 13 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Those picks were used to take high-upside star swings Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, who join a logjam rotation in New Orleans. Fears led Oklahoma through the Southeastern Conference as a freshman, averaging 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists, posing as one of the nation's top scoring freshman. Queen averaged 16.5 points, 9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, leading his Maryland Terrapins to the NCAA Tournament, where he hit a memorable game-winner against Colorado State.

However, the selections create a two-timeline roster, separating youngsters Fears and Queen from the veteran core of Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones and Jordan Poole.

There's no such thing as too much talent, but at the end of the day, there's still only one ball to go around. Having veterans in need of the ball taking touches away from Fears and Queen could stunt the development of the future stars.

The Pelicans could try to overlap the two timelines and compete now while still developing for the future, but there's a chance it becomes redundant and works out for neither group. Having already shipped Ingram to Toronto, Williamson could find himself on the trade block next, resetting the roster.

This article first appeared on NBA Draft on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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