As the trade deadline approaches, each New Orleans Pelicans fan wonders what direction the team should be headed.
For some NBA fans, teams either go up or down. They either win games, or they lose them. The truth is that while there is “up and down” there is also side-ways, back-wards, and upside-down.
The Pelicans could make a move to go up or down, but choosing between what they do with their long-term flexibility or their team culture are the real indicators of where they are headed.
For instance, the Pelicans deciding to take a “win now” approach doesn’t necessarily mean one thing. A “win now” move could be a few quick-fix type trades (think Norris Cole and Quincy Pondexter), or it could mean a drastic revision of this teams entire core (think the Jrue and Tyreke trades in 2013).
Additionally, a “lose now” motivated deadline could mean different things as well. On one hand, Demps might try to simply increase flexibility by getting rid of some long term money, even if it decreases his short-term support.
On the other hand, a “lose now” focused Demps might eye the draft so intensely that he trades everyone not named Jrue and Davis, and shuts the last two of them down with an “injury” (wink wink) for the rest of the year.
Whichever path Demps chooses will likely be his last. When you draft a All-NBA level player you get two chances at the most to build something special around him. A “core” of player usually takes 3-4 years to assemble and assess. You get to assemble one while your All-Star is on a rookie deal, and if it doesn’t work out you can try to assemble another one on during his max-contract extension.
In terms of probability, I would bet Demps isn’t the type to drop in the standings. The most likely scenario is that he makes a small move for a piece to help now, and that’s it.
That’s boring though.
Instead of hypothesizing what I think Demps will do, here’s a breakdown of the five directions he will have to chose from. Rather than predicting his actions, take a look at the potential options and see for yourself which one you think makes the most sense.
Next: Scenario One: Absolutely Nothing