Let's say you're the GM. Or at least, someone the GM would listen to seriously.
What route do you think is best for the franchise? The way I see it, the Pelicans have three potential pathways that they can go over the next three or four years.
1) Try and set up again with another superstar, and build around them again, hoping that better moves are made and that we have better luck this time. A trade that follows this route might be based around New York, where we could acquire a potential superstar in this year's draft (Zion, RJ, Ja) and a bunch of young players with potential that could go around that star like Knox and Robinson.
2) Abandon the superstar route and follow what could be called the 2004 Pistons model. They didn't have any singular transcendent player, but they had a bunch of really good solid players that fit well together and had complimentary skills. A trade that facilitates this route might be a Boston based trade, where we could potentially acquire Tatum and Brown, and maybe some solid mid-first picks like Sacramento or the Clippers depending on what conveys. Maybe you think Tatum does have all-star potential, but even if he doesn't, this kind of tactic would put a fairly solid floor on the team's results, even if it also capped off the ceiling a little lower than you might want.
3) Bungle it. Go the superstar route but then trade every pick again so we can't build around that star. Or go the Celtics route but fail to acquire Tatum. Just be awful again and re-run the last 7 years.
Obviously none of us want Option 3. So, out of Option 1 and Option 2, which would you prefer? Build around the superstar and shoot for the highest possible ceiling, or ensure at least some degree of success with a team of non-star-but-solid players? What's your call?