New Orleans Pelicans DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

According to New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, the organization intends to keep forward Zion Williamson on the roster. "I've had some really good conversations with Zion," said Dumars. "I've had some real honest conversations with him. We're going forward with Zion. He's going to continue to be a focal point here as we go forward." A woman the former Blue Devil dated filed a lawsuit recently, alleging rape and abuse. But as far as his issues on the court, he has had trouble staying healthy, appearing in 30 games or fewer four times during his career, including missing the entire 2021-22 campaign. However, Williamson is as good as it gets when healthy, averaging 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steals in 214 regular-season contests. If he can remain off the injury report, he has All-Star upside. Still, fantasy managers who pick Williamson in drafts heading into the season will be taking a gamble based on his numerous ailments over the years.

New Orleans Pelicans forward/center Zion Williamson hasn't seen any success during his time in Louisiana, leaving his future murky, but he remains an integral part of the team's plans. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Pelicans' newly-hired president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, wants to "make things work with Williamson as the team's centerpiece." New Orleans has aimed to build around Williamson ever since drafting him in 2019 as the No. 1 pick, but his availability is a significant concern. The 24-year-old has never played more than 70 games in a single NBA season and was limited to just 30 appearances in 2024-25. When healthy, Williamson can be a fantasy beast, but history has shown that managers can't count on that.

New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Brandon Boston Jr. underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle last week, as announced by the team. His recovery timetable is approximately 3-4 months. With many Pelicans struggling to remain healthy, Boston Jr. earned an expanded role this season and demonstrated good upside. He averaged 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals in 23.6 minutes. However, the 23-year-old made only one appearance after February, as the ankle injury derailed his second half of the season. He should be fully healed for the start of the 2025-26 campaign and may continue to have a regular role in the rotation after the Pelicans converted his two-way deal into a standard two-year contract in the middle of the season.

New Orleans Pelicans forward/center Kelly Olynyk has undergone a minimally invasive surgery on his left heel and ultrasound-guided tendon debridement, the team announced. He had the procedure performed on Friday and is expected to be out for around 3-4 months. Olynyk should be ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign, but the surgery will certainly impact his offseason work. The veteran big man will enter a contract year next season. His numbers dropped across the board this season, but Olynyk should have some extra motivation in 2025-26 as he approaches his 35th birthday. He finished this season with averages of 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 20.3 minutes over 44 games with the Pelicans and Toronto Raptors.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (foot) will be shut down for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. The Pelicans have already been eliminated from Postseason contention, so the move was made to keep him off the floor. The 33-year-old averaged 21.1 points this season, his most since 2021-22. However, he logged only 56 games after logging 66 in 2023-24. New Orleans also announced Zion Williamson (back) also won't be back on the floor this season, so guys like Kelly Olynyk, Jordan Hawkins (back), Bruce Brown, and Jose Alvarado should be busy moving ahead.