New Orleans' season was such an injury-riddled mess that the Pelicans might just hit the self-destruct button this summer and start over. Then again, perhaps it's still too early for this franchise to abandon hope on its own oft-injured-but-still-spectacular superstar Zion Williamson.

"This summer, I think, is the moment of truth for the Pelicans and for Zion Williamson," ESPN's Shams Charania told The Pat McAfee Show . "... My educated, knowledge-based look at this situation is the Pelicans and Zion Williamson have to have a sit-down this summer and really get on the same page."

If the Pels, who dealt Brandon Ingram at the deadline, push forward with Williamson, they could again try to find the right co-star for him. Would they be willing to tempt fate and take on another enormous injury risk with Ball? The potential pitfalls of such a pickup are obvious and profuse, but the ceiling for a Williamson-Ball duo might sit high enough to roll the dice.

New Orleans, which could build an offer around draft picks, prospects like Jordan Hawkins and Yves Missi and either Dejounte Murray or CJ McCollum to make the money work, has been a tantalizing if-healthy team for a while now.