Two weeks ago, the Pelicans rolled into a game against the Cavaliers at 8-22 but finally showed some life. They'd just rattled off five straight wins and looked like maybe, just maybe, they’d found something.

Since then? It’s been rough. Seven straight losses, even with Jordan Poole and other key guys back on the court. Still, there’s at least one thing worth celebrating.

Last night against the Heat, Trey Murphy needed three more threes to break the franchise record. He did it. He passed CJ McCollum and now sits at the top for most threes made in Pelicans history.

Murphy’s been lighting it up for three years now. Nights like this make you wonder if New Orleans will think twice about trading him while they try to rework the roster.

Honestly, it’s not surprising he’s the new three-point king in New Orleans as of January 5, 2026. The guy’s been launching and hitting from deep all over the league since he got the chance. After the game, Murphy talked about how much he appreciated doing it in New Orleans. But with the team sitting at 8-29 and no first-round pick next year, he didn’t exactly look thrilled.

You can’t really blame him. The Pelicans wanted to build off last year’s disappointment, but injuries and slumps have dragged them down. Even with bodies coming back, they just can’t buy a win—seven in a row now.

So, yeah, a shake-up looks almost certain before the February 5 trade deadline. The roster could look pretty different in a month.

People are starting to ask if Murphy’s time in New Orleans is running out. If this is it, he’s left his mark.

Looking ahead, teams with eight wins at this point usually sell at the deadline. The Pelicans? Their situation’s a little different since they don’t even own their 2026 first-round pick—that went to Atlanta in the Derik Queen deal, and that move’s stinging now.

Bringing in new faces might be the only way to jolt this team. Murphy and Zion Williamson have kept fighting, but it’s not catching on. Poole's been all over the place since he came back.

Derik Queen is out hurt, and rookie Jeremiah Fears is starting to show why he matters for the future. Still, with everything that’s happened, it’s hard to call this season anything but a failure.

You never know what’ll happen at the deadline, but expect the Pelicans to be in the thick of it, looking for change.

No matter what happens next, Trey Murphy’s last few seasons have been something to remember. The guy’s become one of the best shooters out there.

Luka Doncic hasn’t even wrapped up his first full season with the Lakers, but he’s already doing things that hardly anyone in franchise history has pulled off.

He’s 26, running the show at guard, and right now he’s putting up 33.6 points per game—the best in the NBA. And for the Lakers? That number means even more. According to Legion Hoops, the last time a Laker scored at this pace was Kobe back in 2005–06, when he averaged 35.4 and basically took over the league. In the twenty years since, nobody in a Lakers uniform has finished a season with a scoring average like Doncic’s.

What’s wild is how steady Doncic has been. He’s not just going off for one or two crazy nights—he’s been relentlessly consistent. Take Sunday’s win over Memphis: he dropped 36 points, and that was already his 19th game this year with at least 30. Not many players in the league have hit that mark, and if you look at Lakers history, guards rarely keep up that kind of pace all year.

Scoring gets most of the headlines, but Doncic is doing a lot more. He’s running the offence, taking on the toughest late-shot-clock possessions, and either setting up his teammates or just finishing the play himself. His assists and rebounds back that up, and he’s near the top of the team in both.

So, where does this season fit with the all-time Lakers greats? If you line up all the best-scoring years, Doncic’s numbers stack up pretty well, and he’s not just jacking up shots—there’s balance to his game. Kobe’s ''05–'06 season is still the gold standard for pure scoring, but it was all about high-volume shooting. Even LeBron’s best scoring year in LA didn’t touch Doncic’s current average, despite similar usage.

Honestly, averaging 30 or more for a season is rare for a Laker, no matter the era. Wilt Chamberlain did it back in the late ‘60s, Jerry West managed it a couple of times before that, and after them, only Kobe lived in that neighbourhood. Now Doncic is right there with them, just on the numbers alone.

He’s near the top of the league in points and minutes, night after night, no matter the opponent or the building. That consistency says a lot.

We won’t know the final totals until the season ends, but at this pace, Doncic is on track for one of the most impressive individual seasons the Lakers have seen since Kobe’s best years.

Even if you forget about the history for a second, the numbers make it clear—Doncic’s first full season in LA is already something special.