The New Orleans Pelicans are coming off yet another sorely disappointing season. It has led to rumors that star forward Zion Williamson is not happy about the direction of the organization and could, at some point, request a trade.
The backdrop here is a lack of interest in the Pelicans locally in the Bayou. This has also led to widespread speculation that relocation could be in the cards.
“With the team only committed to its lease in The Big Easy through 2024, sources consistently mention New Orleans as the most likely team to seek relocation in the coming decade,” John Hollinger of The Athletic noted recently.
While attendance figures around the NBA have been skewed over the past two seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, things have not been great for the New Orleans Pelicans in this regard.
- 2018-19: 25th in the NBA
- 2017-18: 24th in the NBA
- 2016-17: 23rd in the NBA
Pelicans owner Gayle Benson has ties to New Orleans given that she’s also the head of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints — an extremely successful professional franchise. Even then, the billionaire is not in the business of losing money. It doesn’t help that these Pelicans are second-least valuable franchise in the NBA, according to the most recent Forbes estimates. All of this could lead to the Pelicans relocating soon. If so, here’s three ideal destinations.
