Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards puts up a shot in front of Steven Adams #12 and Eric Bledsoe #5 of the New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Coming into the offseason, the New Orleans Pelicans’ payroll had some bloated contracts that looked like they’d be dragging the Pels down for years to come.
Eric Bledsoe had two years remaining and did not produce. Steven Adams had already gotten a 3-year extension and didn’t look like he was a good fit, and Lonzo Ball was in line for a massive raise.
Flash forward a few weeks and all three are gone, which not only made the Pelicans better as a team but improved their payroll situation considerably.