Pelicans Receive a High Grade for Offseason Moves

Now that the NBA draft, free agency, and Summer League have wrapped up, the team focus will be on the upcoming training camps in anticipation of the NBA season.

While results on the basketball court will determine the true success of this summer, some have speculated just how well they thought each team did. CBS Sports published grades for all 30 NBA teams based on their transactions this summer.

Here's the synopsis for the New Orleans Pelicans:

Pelicans fans breathed a sigh of relief when Williamson actually inked his extension after much anxiety-inducing speculation.

Adding him to Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum forms one of the most potent Big Threes in the entire league. Liddell looked like a steal at No. 41 but will miss significant time after tearing his ACL in Summer League.

Daniels may be eased into action, but he profiles as a big, defensive, pass-first guard who could slot right into the starting lineup. New Orleans ended last season on a high note, and things only got more promising this offseason.

Grade: A

While the actual movement was minimal by the Pelicans this offseason, that's a major part of why their grade was so high. Locking down a potential superstar in Zion Williamson to his rookie contract extension was a must and the Pelicans got it done. They drafted one of their most coveted targets in Dyson Daniels in the 1st round and were also able to nab a potential steal in 2nd with E.J. Liddell.

While it's unfortunate Liddell suffered the ACL injury during Summer League, he still has significant upside and could be a contributor in the future. The Pelicans may also look to extend CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr in the future.

Coming off a playoff run in which the Pelicans pushed the Phoenix Suns to games, local optimism surrounding this time is at an all-time high. National media is coming around with the same outlook for this team.

The Pelicans were just 1 of 8 teams on the CBS list to grade an A for their offseason. The real key will be having this hope translate to wins this fall. The Pelicans will get that chance starting October 19 when they travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets in the season opener.

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