The New Orleans Pelicans have been bombarded with bad news all season but Willie Green has kept injecting fight into the shorthanded rotations. Amid fan rumblings about losing streaks and ridiculously long injury reports, tenured veterans Brandon Ingram (Excel) and Zion Williamson (CAA) wanted blank slates that went beyond the Big Easy’s borders. However, it will be hard to shake several negative career narratives that will follow the duo until there are some series wins in the NBA Playoffs on their resumes.
Will Guillory (The Athletic) confirmed the news that Ingram was following Williamson’s lead less than 24 hours after Guillory and Joe Vardon (The Athletic) got the initial scoop on the All-Stars. It seems chaotic at the worst time. Still, there are many reasons why the Pelicans should applaud Williamson and Ingram’s decisions on their futures with CAA and Excel.
For Ingram and Williamson, the ending of those relationships marks significant shifts in power balances and control over their careers, individually. As an organization, it is a positive sign the All-Stars are willing to work with EVP David Griffin and GM Bryson Graham on finding solutions to their respective situations. Former representatives were making no progress and the duo did not have the cache to clean house in a way that Hall of Famers like LeBron James have been afforded.
Griffin knows that firsthand having dealt with James before landing in the Crescent City. Growing a team organically, and not forcing every issue as with the Cleveland Cavaliers was a talking point in the Executive Vice President’s introductory press conference after all. Green having the Pelicans’ locker room in good spirits despite suffering through a 4-12 start to the season meant there was only one option left on the table.
Moving to a fresh perspective with new representation was the only control either player had in the situation.
Pelicans sticking to initial philosophy
First, it speaks to the culture and respect that there have been very few credible ‘leaked’ reports regarding Ingram and Williamson’s future with the Pelicans. Sure, speculation abounds during the offseason but no public tirades or high-pressure trade demands were dominating the airwaves. Just a constant trickle of information that largely suggests Williamson is working diligently to make good on his promises.
The Duke alum has been taking the game far more seriously since being embarrassed in Las Vegas last fall. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were not so gentle in showing Williamson how winning basketball looked. All was going well this season until those scans showed damage in Cleveland. But no one wanted those scans to show any damage, so some of the reactions were uncalled for at best.
What’s best for the Pelicans though? Williamson’s contract with the Pelicans is a complex one, filled with numerous out-clauses designed to protect the team. The injury-prone 24-year-old’s five-year, $197 million contract extension, signed in 2022, includes clauses that make the final three years of the deal non-guaranteed if he fails to meet certain benchmarks. The weight clauses and games played thresholds were mocked when made public, just one of many CAA missteps.
By parting ways with CAA, Zion Williamson has opened the door for the Pelicans to potentially renegotiate his contract. This could lead to a more team-friendly deal that better aligns with Williamson’s health and performance, ultimately benefiting both the player and the franchise. Ripping up the current deal, finding a middle ground financially, and easing luxury tax pressures would be an incredible result for Griffin.
As was pointed out rather sarcastically to ClutchPoints by a former agent, turning zero guaranteed dollars into over $150 million in secured cash would be a win for anyone in any body-dependant, activity-based industry.
Ingram’s expiring contract and pending unrestricted free agent status reached a stalemate this summer. A trade market never materialized for the Pelicans, so they decided to ride things out to start the regular season. It’s a good thing Griffin and Graham were patient. Green has been playing G-League talent more than the Opening Night starting five since Halloween.
It’s not as scary as it sounds in all respects. The Pelicans have climbed out of more challenging situations with Green and Griffin in charge. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram wound up watching most of that work from the sidelines. They could soon be keeping up with old friends from a new city.
Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram trade options
With both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram now free from their previous representatives, the Pelicans have a unique opportunity to start with a blank slate in negotiations. This fresh start allows the team to rework Williamson’s contract, negotiate a new deal for Ingram, or even explore trade offers for both players. Given the current state of the team and its need for a clear direction, this flexibility is invaluable.
So what are some straightforward, soft-reset trades that would allow the Pelicans to duck the luxury tax and accumulate draft assets? Griffin is going to have to work the phones for a third team, as there are few two-team frameworks that, well, work.
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O.G. Anunoby would be the first offer from the New York Knicks. The Denver Nuggets could call dangling Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr. if things go south in the Mile High City. Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies), DeAndre Ayton (Portland Trail Blazers), or Nicolas Claxton (Brooklyn Nets) match up on the salary cap sheet relatively well. Finding the draft assets to make a deal work would be the other part of the equation.
Regardless of who one believes, there is one thing everyone knows for sure. CAA and Excel will not have a seat at the table. Williamson and Ingram deemed them asleep at the wheel and found new negotiation drivers to crank up some activity.
Griffin can thank the All-Stars for that as well. At least now there is time to work before the NBA Trade Deadline pressure ramps up. As for the leverage? Williamson and Ingram have now signaled a desire to fire the old agents rather than publically demand a trade. Of course, those negative narratives leak into the agency group chats too.
As one NBA source said about taking on a new client like Williamson: “Lord, I’d take the money, but…whew.”
That is not Griffin’s nor the Pelicans’ problem. As another league source relayed to ClutchPoints: New Orleans “can work with (the recent news) and come out ahead of the curve all things considered.”
Griffin saw the benefit of bussing Anthony Davis out of town. Williamson and Ingram would bring in substantial hauls, or make history in the Big Easy when healthy. Only time will tell but there are escape routes for all parties. There are also reasons everyone might want to stick together if the price is right.
Therefore, to paraphrase several conversations, in this unpredictable business Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram’s decisions should be embraced as a new opportunity rather than another obstacle.
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