Anfernee Simons has been pointing the way to victory
"And I took that personally."
Yes, Anfernee Simons read all the hate comments and posts from people who said he was overpaid, that his championship season was a fluke year, and that he'd revert back to the mean this season after he signed the blockbuster free agency contract to leave the Timberwolves and come to a woebegone New Orleans team.
Now? Even after a 7/19 night (8/10 from the FT line) in a stunning 91-87 upset of the heavily favored Bucks in Milwaukee, he's shooting 45.1% from the field - a career high as a full-time starter to date after shooting 44.8% last season (he shot 45.9% as a part-time starter in Utah in the 2027 season, his fourth year in the league). It's totaling up to a career best 19.5 points with 7 assists, a career-high 5.8 rebounds, a steal per game, and career-best 52.4% TS percentage (51.4% last season, also a best mark).
His arrival has also sparked Tyrese Maxey to a team- and career-best 19.9 points a game on 43% shooting, 43.1% behind the arc (both Maxey's first year above .400 shooting in both categories) and a blistering 64.4% True Shooting mark, easily surpassing the 54.8% rate in his partial season with the Pelicans last year. It's jumped up Maxey's scoring and has the third-year shooting guard in the conversation for Most Improved Player.
While many doubters still exist, even within the organization, a quarter of the way through the season, New Orleans is 10-11 and tied for the 8th seed and play-in opportunities. And those rumors about Wemby being dealt? Consider them dead. "We got a couple of intriguing offers for him, but nothing that hit the benchmark of overwhelming," said a Pelicans official. "And let's be perfectly honest - most of our upside in becoming a contender is tied up in his potential. We also had a number of fans who said they see a lot of Malik Monk/Karl-Anthony Towns in Maxey and Wemby... only Wemby projects to be even better. And especially since we're not enthused about this year's center class, it just didn't make sense."
That hasn't prevented New Orleans from making nibbling trades, though. A.J. Griffin and Okeke for Cole Anthony. Anthony Gill for Mouhamed Gueye - small dice rolls of trading players New Orleans didn't see in their long-term players for younger, rawer players with upside to develop roles. And shortly before press time, the Pelicans struck again, shipping out Santi Aldama for Donte DiVicenzo in a move that signaled the Pelicans aren't quite ready to run up the white flag on the season.
Santi Aldama: Nice beard, shit playing
The return of Santi Aldama to the GM who drafted him was considered a sweet little side story, even though the former Top 10 pick busted like so many lottery selections do in the harsh, demanding world of the CSL. But it quickly turned sour this season when he was accidentally given a start due to some misfiled paperwork, and fans quickly turned on the big man as the single worst player to put on midnight blue this season.
"He has some talent in some areas, but boy did he absolutely suck in New Orleans' setup," a West Conference scout said. "Worst player on the team in every single metric." The 76ers came calling, offering their completely unused 27 year old combo guard Donte DiVicenzo for Aldama in a straight swap, as Philadelphia was desperate for literally any literal big body in seeking insurance to protect their #1 overall league record.
Donte DiVincenzo is excited to finally get back on the court
DiVincenzo brings a wealth of experience as a journeyman combo guard, his longest stint three years in Oklahoma City. Primarily a part-time starter and reserve, he returns to New Orleans for his second stint with the team, having started 14 of 23 games that season before being a reserve in the Pelicans' 2026 first round playoff appearance. He'll step in as the backup to Anfernee Simons, bringing better passing, ballhandling, and defense, though slightly worse rebounding and stocks than second-year man Alessandro Pajola, who has surprised some with his capable play.
"Last time DDV was here under different management, we made the playoffs," said a team official. "Who knows? Maybe the Red Pepper is what we need for a good luck charm to get back to the postseason. At any rate, he'll get his shot to show what he can do about bettering our second team, and we felt like his veteran presence and four years of playoff experience would help our squad perform more consistently. At the very least, we go three deep at PG/SG now, and don't have to scramble to find a replacement when Maxey or God forbid, Simons gets hurt, which cost us a few games this year already.
At the very least, he should contribute more than Shitsack Santi ever did. And now we have to pray really hard that Wemby and Zach stay healthy if we want to stay competing for a play-in appearance."
