The New Orleans Pelicans can't keep changing everything around their core while treating the core itself as untouchable.
Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, and Zion Williamson have delivered memorable performances and, at times, given New Orleans reasons to believe. Together, they have also become central figures in a team that keeps asking for more patience.
With Jamahl Mosley beginning his tenure and Jeremiah Fears emerging as a potential cornerstone, the Pelicans need to decide whose development will drive their decisions.
Drafting Derik Queen, extending Saddiq Bey, and signing Bennedict Mathurin have created alternatives. They aren't interchangeable replacements for the incumbents, but they give New Orleans more options if it commits to rebuilding.
For Jones, Murphy, and Williamson, this season could become an audition for their next teams. The reasons to consider moving each are different. The larger purpose would be the same: turn an unsuccessful roster into assets that can help build a better one.
Herb Jones: A contender could need him more
Jones enters his sixth season having given the Pelicans far more than they could reasonably have expected from the 35th pick in the 2021 draft.
He became a starter as a rookie and earned First Team All-Defensive honors in 2024. His anticipation, versatility, and willingness to accept the toughest assignments made him the defensive standard for a team that too often has struggled to meet it.
Jones has done his job. The organization hasn't been able to build a successful team around those contributions.
There are concerns, however. Shoulder surgery ended his 2024-25 season after 20 games. He played 56 games last season, shooting 38.3% from the floor and 30.9% from three. That offensive regression complicates his fit on a roster already short on dependable spacing.
At 28, Jones could spend several prime seasons helping New Orleans develop its next group. Or the Pelicans could move him to a team equipped to turn his defense into meaningful postseason success.
His shooting and recent availability will influence the offers. But if a contender values him enough to supply useful young talent or draft capital, New Orleans should be prepared to listen.
Trey Murphy III: His value makes this difficult
Murphy is the toughest inclusion because his game fits a rebuild.
Entering his sixth season at 26, he has grown from a reserve shooter into a wing who averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists last season. His 37.9% shooting from distance came with the volume and defensive attention that make his spacing especially valuable.
Moving him would create a real hole. Bey and Mathurin provide scoring options, but neither makes Murphy's shooting expendable.
His injury history also deserves consideration. Left meniscus surgery interrupted his 2023-24 season, and a right shoulder injury ended his 2024-25 campaign. He appeared in 66 games last season after playing 53 the previous year.
Still, the strongest argument for trading Murphy is what he could bring back. His combination of age, size, and shooting could make him the most attractive asset of these three.
The Pelicans need more avenues to acquire foundational talent. If Murphy can return a premium young player or a substantial draft package, keeping him must be weighed against that opportunity.
He should require the most convincing offer. A rebuild needs good players, too.
Zion Williamson: The wait has lasted seven seasons
Williamson enters his eighth season with two All-Star selections and enough dominant stretches to explain the franchise's reluctance to move on.
He averaged 27 points on better than 60% shooting in 2020-21. His 40-point performance against the Lakers in the 2024 play-in offered a glimpse of what New Orleans wanted to see on the biggest stage.
Then a hamstring injury ended his night. Seven seasons into his career, he has yet to appear in an NBA playoff game.
Knee, foot, and hamstring problems have repeatedly disrupted his availability. A foot injury cost him the entire 2021-22 season. His 62 appearances last season were encouraging, but they don't erase the difficulty of building around that uncertainty.
Queen's arrival gives the Pelicans another interior creator to develop. Fears gives them a reason to reconsider who should control the offense. Neither guarantees a better future, but both deserve an opportunity to help define it.
Williamson's health will affect his market. New Orleans may have to accept that the return reflects his current value more than his original promise.
Mosley is starting a new chapter. The roster should reflect a clear commitment to it.
The Pelicans can thank these three for what they contributed. They also need to recognize when those contributions would serve the franchise better as the foundation of a trade.
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