Motiejunas is pretty good. So is Stephenson. Asik ok the trade there also
Complete opposite of a big name in that literally every other team in the league said no thank you before Jrue had to miss the start of the season and forced the Pelicans to bring Stephenson in and they cut him the second Jrue decided to rejoin the team.
The DM situation is pretty much unlike any other free agent signing in league history and most of the teams in the league avoided wading into that mess.
And Asik was acquired in a trade and has been unequivocally awful for the Pelicans since being re-signed so I'm really not sure what sort of point you're trying to make.