New Orleans Pelicans DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Toronto Raptors guard/forward Bruce Brown (knee) is set to miss the beginning of the NBA pre-season after undergoing an arthroscopic knee surgery this week. The veteran do-it-all role player won't be re-evaluated for another three weeks, but it doesn't seem like he's supposed to miss significant time. Brown was reportedly dealing with knee issues for a couple of months after he was traded to the Raptors in the deal that sent Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers. The Raptors begin training camp on October 1, and the team is hopeful that he'll be back on the court before the end of pre-season in time for their first game on October 23. Brown averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game across 34 appearances for Toronto last year.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson played a career-high 70 games in 2023-24. However, it appears Williamson remains committed to staying on the floor, with the 24-year-old appearing slimmer in a recent photo posted to Instagram. Without question, his durability has been an issue since entering the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2019. His work ethic has also been questioned. Yet, while Williamson's statistical numbers were down slightly last season, fantasy managers will take it as long as he stays healthy. With that said, he has top-10 fantasy potential. But the former Duke Blue Devil has an uphill climb to convince fantasy managers he's no longer injury-prone.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hawks traded guard Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans in exchange for Larry Nance Jr., EJ Liddell, Dyson Daniels, and two first-round picks. The backcourt pairing of Murray and Trae Young didn't work, so the 27-year-old will head to New Orleans, a team hoping to re-enter the championship conversation. Murray finished last season by averaging a career-high 22.5 points with 6.4 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Without question, he's an All-Star caliber player, and his fantasy value should improve even more if he becomes New Orleans' primary ballhandler in 2024-25. While Murray's shooting percentages aren't the best, category managers will still get a reliable fantasy asset, even more so since he's played at least 74 games in each of the last two seasons.

Toronto Raptors forward Bruce Brown will stick with the organization after they've accepted his $23 million player option for the 2024 season. It's a little odd to see the Raptors bringing back Brown considering he was average at best during his time in Toronto last season. On a one-year deal, Brown should be a valuable trade asset if the Raptors decide to move him in the offseason or mid-season. His stats did decline in Toronto, but he should still have some fantasy value regardless of where he's playing.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Toronto Raptors are expected to pick up the team option of guard/forward Bruce Brown. The 27-year-old won an NBA championship with the Nuggets in 2022-23. However, after signing with the Indiana Pacers, he was dealt to Toronto ahead of the 2023-24 trade deadline. He appeared in 34 games for the Raptors, although his statistical contributions declined, averaging 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Nonetheless, the Raptors could end up trading him at some point during the 2024-25 campaign, potentially increasing his production.