THE The New Orleans Pelicans The rotation will look very different in the 2024-25 season compared to last season. Major roster changes were made this offseason, allowing Willie Green to work with a new group.
The biggest addition was Dejounte Murray, who will be the new starting point guard. With the departure of Jonas Valanicuas, he landed with the Washington Wizards As part of a sign-and-swap agreement, there will also be a new departure center.
With Murray, Zion Williamson is guaranteed a starting five spot. After that, it’s all up to Green’s preference.
Herbert Jones should be in the starting lineup because of his defensive prowess. CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram were both starters last season as well. But that would mean Williamson is the starting center, a lineup that should be used as a change of speed, not a building block.
However, there is another player who deserves a starting spot: Trey Murphy. Dan Favale of Bleacher Report urged the Pelicans to find a way to integrate the former first-round pick into the starting five in some way.
“Finding a spot for Murphy should be a no-brainer. And it may already be set in stone. His spacing, shooting ability and off-ball movement are invaluable to a team that has plenty of players who prefer to operate inside the arc and on the rock,” Favale wrote.
Figuring out who will replace Murphy is a tough task. It’s safe to assume that Green will use a traditional center, either Daniel Theis or Yves Missi, in addition to Williamson and Murray.
If that happens, two players in Jones, McCollum, Ingram and Murphy will come off the bench. Having a lot of talent is a good thing, but this is shaping up to be a major headache and a story to watch in New Orleans early in the season.
Convincing Ingram, whose contract is expiring and who is looking for a huge contract, to come off the bench seems like a non-starter. Could the team offer him a long-term extension and include an agreement on a role change?
The easiest way to unblock the situation would be to find a team willing to trade Ingram. That would allow Murphy to move into the starting lineup and move McCollum to the second unit, where his playmaking and scoring abilities would give him a boost.
