The New Orleans Pelicans head into the upcoming season with a few question marks surrounding the team. None of those questions involve the small forward position. New Orleans is talent-rich, and their strongest unit may easily be the forward position.
HoopsHype ranked their Top 30 small forwards in the league, and the Pelicans had three make the list, all in the Top 20.
Brandon Ingram headlined the first spot for New Orleans. The former No. 2 overall draft pick ranked No. 9 on HoopsHype list. There is plenty of speculation around Ingram’s future with the Pelicans. New Orleans and Ingram could not agree to a contract extension this summer, meaning he enters the season on the last year of his current deal and will be an unrestricted free agent after next season.
“Based on his growth early on in his career, many believed New Orleans Pelicans swingman Brandon Ingram would at least be a perennial All-Star player by this point,” Frank Urbina of HoopsHype writes. “Instead, Ingram seemingly maxed out his potential by his fourth season back in 2021-22, the lone All-Star campaign of his career, never really improving his impact or production since then, instead hovering around the same level.
The next player on the list is someone the Pelicans will get an extension done with soon, and that’s Trey Murphy III. His growth year over year in New Orleans highlights a major focus for the Pelicans to keep Murphy III as a core player moving forward. The former University of Virgina standout had career-highs in points, rebounds, and assists last year and comes in at No. 16 on the list.
“Murphy can knock down shots off the dribble, too, when defenders run him off the three-point line, and he also has great length and quick feet that he uses very effectively on the defensive end, making him an impactful 3-and-D weapon for the Pelicans.”
Coming in right behind Murphy III is his teammate Herb Jones. He was finally recognnized last season by being selected to the All-NBA Defensive First Team. Jones also finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year Award and was the only non-center/power forward on the All-NBA First Team.
Jones is known for his ferocious defense, but last season he dramatcially improved on the offensive end of the court. He averaged a career-high 11 points per game and shot 41% from the three-point line.
“If the former Alabama standout was just a bit younger, we might have ranked him higher on this list, as it’s unclear just how much upside he has remaining. But either way, the fact he put up such an impressive season from three indicates he could have another level in him.”
Ingram is major wild card for the Pelicans this season. He reportededly wants an extension worth $45-$50 million annually and New Orleans isn’t willing to meet his demands. A divorce seems likely, with the Pelicans possibly unloading him around the trade deadline so he doesn’t walk for nothing in free agency.
If Ingram and his camp are willing to take less to align more with what New Orleans would offer, then the Pelicans have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA for years to come.
