The Pelicans still have a big hole at center

It's been seven weeks since Jonas Valanciunas signed with the Wizards, and the New Orleans Pelicans still haven't replaced him. They're running out of time and options.

Last season, Valanciunas played all 82 games for the Pelicans. He logged 1,925 minutes, nearly 49 percent of the available center time. According to Basketball Reference , Larry Nance Jr. played 99 percent of his 1,216 minutes at center, accounting for just over 30 percent of the team's center minutes. The rest was covered by a combination of Cody Zeller (320 minutes), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (150 minutes) and small-ball lineups where Zion Williamson played center, for a little over 300 minutes.

Now Valanciunas is in Washington, at least for now . Nance and Zeller were both sent to Atlanta in the Dejounte Murray trade . That means the Pelicans need to replace a ton of center minutes, roughly 42 per game. A lot of that burden is likely to fall on their first-round draft choice.

New Orleans drafted Baylor's Yves Missi with the No. 21 pick in June's NBA draft. The 6-foor-11 Missi can block shots and has a lot of potential as a rebounder and dunker, but dunking is about the extent of his offensive game. He certainly has upside, but it's tough to ask any rookie to come in and start for a playoff team, especially if he doesn't shoot or pass.

The Pelicans have also added veteran Daniel Theis, who was Germany's starting center during the Olympics and the Clippers' backup center during the 2023-24 season. He averaged 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks, though he did make 37 percent of his threes (on 70 attempts). An NBA team could do worse for a backup center, but it could also probably do a lot better.

Barring any further moves, it looks like Williamson might be spending a whole lot more time playing the five. Zion-at-center lineups could be explosive offensively, but figure to give up a lot of points at the other end with the 6-foot-6 Williamson protecting the rim. Plus, he hasn't exactly been a durable player during his career, so asking him to bang with huge centers for half the game is a dubious proposition.

But that might be the best of the Pelicans' limited options, especially since their ownership is reluctant to pay the luxury tax. Unless a vibrant trade market emerges for Brandon Ingram, heading into the last year of his contract, Williamson might be the best of several unattractive center options for New Orleans.

The Pelicans clearly have playoff ambitions, as evidenced by the Murray trade. But it's remarkable that an aspiring contender that won 49 games last season still has a massive hole in its lineup with the season 10 weeks away.