Pelica Debrief
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Five Questions following the New Orleans Pelicans’ Free Agency: Debrief Discussions

By Preston Ellis

Apr 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The New Orleans Pelicans logo on a players shorts at Wells Fargo Center against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Philadelphia 76ers won 107-93. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The New Orleans Pelicans logo on a players shorts at Wells Fargo Center against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Philadelphia 76ers won 107-93. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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April 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans (1) is fouled by Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11, center) while Pelicans center Omer Asik (3) sets a screen during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
April 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans (1) is fouled by Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11, center) while Pelicans center Omer Asik (3) sets a screen during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

At the outset of free agency, most Pelican Debrief experts (see what I did there?) labeled trading Asik and Tyreke as a priority.  Predict their futures, and why they were not unloaded.

Preston:  Tyreke Evans will head out at the deadline in all likelihood for little more than a trade exception. Worst case scenario is he sits through the season and the Pelicans absolve his cap space.

Asik’s quagmire is a little bit more unfortunate.  As New Orleans desperately attempts to justify his outrageous contract by comparing it to Timofey Mozgov, the ugly truth is that the Pels’ will not be able to unload the Turkish big man.

Omer Asik averaged 17 minutes per game last season and after the latest additions, New Orleans has to assume his minutes will only decrease, making any hope of trading him less and less of a possibility.

Rory: Well they haven’t been moved because they’re essentially unmovable. But that may not be the worst thing in the world.

First of all, I disagree with the notion that we should trade Tyreke simply to trade him. It seems a given that he won’t be back next year, and it’s difficult to imagine another team giving up assets for a player with such questionable health.

Since it is basically impossible that we move him any time soon, why not just take the flier on him?

Dec 20, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans players (left to right) Jrue Holiday and Omer Asik and Tyreke Evans and Anthony Davis look on from the bench during the second half of a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Smoothie King Center. The Trail Blazers defeated the Pelicans 114-88. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans players (left to right) Jrue Holiday and Omer Asik and Tyreke Evans and Anthony Davis look on from the bench during the second half of a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Smoothie King Center. The Trail Blazers defeated the Pelicans 114-88. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

As far as Asik, I still think there’s a mild overreaction about his price tag, especially in this insane cap-exploding new world order.

When we discuss last season’s injuries, we typically forget that Asik also missed significant time. He missed all of training camp and the first chunk of the season. Also, historically traditional big men struggle in the first year of a new coaching system. Asik is most definitely a traditional big man. So he was coming off injury and learning a new system that doesn’t naturally fit his skillset? 

Ultimately, I think we keep both players because we have to.

Rick: Neither will be on the team past their current deals and could be gone as soon as next year.

For Omer Asik, the fact of the matter is he has the hardest contract in the NBA to trade. He’s a sluggish big who brings very limited skills and a vast array of weaknesses to the floor. No team wants to invest multiple years of $10+ million per in that kind of player. The Pelicans will strongly need to consider a stretch of his contract or making even more sacrifices to get themselves out of his monster deal. If not, it’ll be waiting for his contract to expire.

For Tyreke Evans, his stay on the team is due to injury concerns. There was not an NBA team that could invest in a player that was not ready for next season and on a one-year contract. Teams want to wait to see what he still has in the tank to bring to an NBA team on more than “day-to-day” health. New Orleans will be likely to get a second-rounder for him at the deadline or lose him after this season.

Drew: Omer Asik is nearly impossible to trade.  Even for centers, he’s slow and nowhere near as skilled as he should be for the big contract that New Orleans is paying him. It’s possible that something could be figured out next season, but the most likely outcome is that the Pelicans will just have to bite the bullet and wait until Asik’s contract expires.

Tyreke Evans has a different situation. He’s a very talented player, but New Orleans will have trouble unloading him due to constant injury concerns. How much he’ll see the floor this season is a complete mystery, and with only one year remaining on his contract I think that holding on to him and seeing if he can produce as a sixth man in the latter part of the season is a better option than dealing him to another team for what would be very little. Sure, his chances of playing this season aren’t the best, but is a trade exception really much better?

Next: Give me your Lineups!

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