New Orleans Pelicans Quarter Season Roundtable

December 17, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard

(30, left) drives past New Orleans Pelicans power forward Ryan Anderson (33) and shooting guard

(10) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Do Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon get traded before we get to the midway point of the season?

Rick: They both very well could get traded, but there seems to be a lot more rumblings about Ryan Anderson lately. He’s a hot commodity for a team needing to get some bench offense on their team. He can score the ball in a massive variety of ways and can even get some work done on the offensive rebounds. Dell Demps has not been shy to change things up when the record is sub-par before. The rumors about Markiff Morris are interesting, yet don’t make a ton of sense for the team, especially with the fact Ryan Anderson is probably the better player of those two. However with the rumors around that Ryan may even be a max player this offseason, there might be some extra incentive to try to get some value for him when they can. As far as Eric Gordon, it really depends on if there are teams actively needing shooting guard shooting. He can fire and score rapidly. If a team is going to give the Pelicans the right value, he could also be a player Demps tries to get value for. This could very well be a very active offseason for New Orleans.

Austin: Ryan Anderson seems like an absolute lock to get traded, especially given the recent rumors surrounding him and Markieff Morris. Eric Gordon doesn’t have as high of value with his salary being extremely high, and Anderson might just be better period.  I doubt Gordon gets traded because there are probably teams out there that think they can get him in free agency for the right number, even if they have to overpay a little bit.  Anderson can help team right now and give that team an advantage in signing him. It might be smart to trade away Anderson so that the Pelicans can get a first round pick or some other trade asset.

Matt: I think they both should be moved but I don’t think they both are. For a while I assumed Anderson would return but with rumors that he is expected to earn a max contract this summer I cannot see New Orleans holding on to him. For a team lacking assets, New Orleans should use one they have to get something useful even if it is just a late first round pick. If you can get a pick or young player that is locked into a contract for a few years for Gordon I would in a heartbeat as well but that is harder to see happening.

Nathan: If this trajectory holds, I think a trade of one or both needs to happen. Retaining Ryan Anderson seems almost impossible considering he is sure to get offered way too much money in free agency. Eric Gordon may not get offered as much as Anderson, but it is possible that it is still too rich for the Pelicans. While letting them walk would free up some cap space (not as much as you think, though. Remember, Davis’ deal starts next season), almost every single team will have tons of cash to spend, so it isn’t nearly as big of an advantage as years prior. With that being the case, I think the Pelicans need to move at least one and try to grab some pieces for the inevitable retooling that will happen over the next few seasons, whether it be draft picks or younger players with more upside. A team making a run would be glad to have either Anderson or Gordon for the extra firepower.