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The New Orleans Pelicans Should Pursue DeMar DeRozan

By Nathan Heck

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Sorry New Orleans Pelicans fans, the chance of Kevin Durant signing with our beloved Pels is about as realistic as the trade proposals in an NBA 2k My League (seriously, though, the computer just traded me Gordon Hayward for Gerald Wallace, Carl Landry and a second round pick in my Sixers rebuildapalooza). All is not lost, though, free agency is a big pond, and just because they will miss on the biggest fish doesn’t mean they can’t reel in an upgrade for the team.

Enter DeMar DeRozan. The freakishly athletic two guard has a player option for next season that he will without a doubt deny even if he intends to return to Toronto, and the Pelicans should take a serious look at adding him to the roster.

Let’s imagine a (plausible) scenario. Tyreke Evans seizes his opportunity to handle the bulk of the minutes at the lead guard spot and reminds the NBA why he was once considered a superstar in the making, which is something that is actually very likely considering his fit within Gentry’s scheme. Jrue Holiday looks good, but it is obvious to everyone involved that Evans is the future. If that’s the case, it doesn’t seem like a stretch for the Pelicans to try to move Holiday and his team-friendly expiring contract at the draft (they could still make a DeRozan signing work with Holiday around, but the salary situation gets a lot easier if Holiday is moved).

This scenario leaves the Pelicans with two distinctly noticeable things. A fairly large amount of cap space (close to $30 million before any signings) and a gaping hole at guard (assuming Gordon does not return, which is something that should be considered likely). DeMar DeRozan will command either a max contract or something close, depending on his play in Toronto this season, and the Pelicans would have plenty of space to sign him and still bring in role players. For the Pelicans, DeRozan makes perfect sense.

He is supremely athletic, possesses above-average talent and fits the team’s timeline for contention. Why would DeRozan want to come to New Orleans when many large market teams will surely be in play, though?

Playing with Anthony Davis has it’s allure (as we’ve heard over and over and over again in reference to Kevin Durant), and along with a large contract and the enticing idea of playing in an up-tempo system, DeRozan should see New Orleans as an extremely favorable option.

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There is only one problem with all of this…the Pelicans already have a super athletic guard who excels at attacking the basket and can’t shoot. After all, Tyreke Evans shot a pretty horrid 30.4% from three and DeRozan shot an even worse 28.4%. So, how on Earth can a lineup including both Evans and DeRozan succeed with so little spacing?

Easy, never stop running. With Davis, DeRozan and Evans, the Pelicans would be able to literally run the opposition out of the building. The half court probably wouldn’t be as ugly as you think, either. Both DeRozan and Evans excel as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll, and Davis happens to be, arguably, the best pick-and-roll big man in the entire association. If that sounds like fun basketball to you, it’s because it would be.

In addition, if we believe all the offseason reports, Tyreke Evans is supposedly expanding his post game this season. Oh, and by the way, DeRozan is already an above average post player for a guard. How incredible would it be for Anthony Davis (remember, Davis has a great handle for a big) to be initiating the offense and passing in to either guard in the post? The result could end up being one of the most entertaining and creative offenses the league has ever seen.

Obviously, there are a lot of variables in play that need to shake out for this scenario to happen: Evans needs to play well, DeRozan needs to desire to take his ability away from Toronto, the Pelicans need to move Holiday, and DeRozan needs to want to be Robin instead of Batman. Regardless, it’s nice for fans of the Pelicans to have a (realistic) dream scenario. Davis and the slashing duo of DeRozan and Evans could terrify the league for the next decade. Plus, don’t you want to see this in person?

Next: Brian Boake of Raptors Rapture Talked DeRozan Leaving in Today's Q&A

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