The New Orleans Pelicans managed to escape the Play-In Tournament this year, but they did so without Zion Williamson, who suffered a hamstring injury in their first Play-In game against the Los Angeles Lakers. And sure enough, Brandon Ingram and company were unable to get much going against the Oklahoma City Thunder without Williamson on the floor, and they were swept out of the playoffs as a result.

After another campaign where the Pels failed to meet expectations, changes are expected to be made, and all eyes immediately shifted to Ingram, who is viewed as the team's top trade candidate ahead of the upcoming offseason. While Ingram is a talented player, it sounds like New Orleans is intent on building around Williamson, which has led to the front office's decision to explore trades for Ingram.

“The Pelicans are going to build around Zion Williamson. I’m told the Pelicans recognize this roster around Zion is a little bit disjointed. I’ve heard New Orleans will seek positional upgrades to improve their spacing and not bring in someone who clogs the paint and is in Zion’s way.”

“When I talk to executives and scouts around the league about this, I remember one scout said to me, ‘The Zion you saw at the end of the season is the guy that can take the Pelicans far. They wouldn’t be able to go as far with Brandon Ingram as the focal point. Zion has to be that guy for better or worse with his injuries if New Orleans is ever going to make an eventual championship-type run. Zion has that special type of talent.'” – Michael Scotto, HoopsHype

Pelicans picking Zion Williamson over Brandon Ingram

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) and forward Brandon Ingram (14) share a laugh after a play against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Smoothie King Center.
Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

There had been a lot of concerns surrounding Williamson and his durability entering the year for New Orleans, but he managed to silence his critics with a strong campaign (22.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 5 APG, 57 FG%). More importantly, he played in 70 games after having played in a total of just 114 contests over the first four seasons of his career.

That appears to have put the Pelicans at ease, as they are believed to be open to moving on from Ingram in order to truly build around Williamson. Ingram has sort of been New Orleans' security blanket for when Williamson has struggled with injuries, but the Pels are ready to fully put their faith in the first overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft after seeing his play this season.

Getting rid of an All-Star caliber player like Ingram is always going to be a tough pill to swallow, but their current roster does not seem to be working (although injuries are admittedly playing a role in those struggles). Williamson has proven himself to be the superstar the Pelicans thought they were getting when they initially drafted him, and as a result, it may be time to cut ties with Ingram in order to allow Zion to reach his full potential.