New Orleans Pelicans Round Table Discussion: State Of The Union
By Joshua Lea
Who’s one free agent you’d like to see in a Pelicans uniform?
Mark Nilon (@MarkNilon):
Well, as a dreamer I’d say Lebron James. However, as a realist, I’d say Isaiah Thomas. Although this season has been a major disappointment, a majority of the blame can not fall on his shoulders. Coming off of a serious hip-injury, people knew it would take time before he got back to 2016 form. While it didn’t necessarily work in Cleveland, it doesn’t mean it couldn’t work somewhere else, say, New Orleans. With more time to regain his health and surroundings, IT could potentially flourish running alongside Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins (if re-signed) and Jrue Holiday. A more in-depth article on why Thomas could be a great fit for New Orleans coming soon!
Seth Nefksy (@nef_said):
He may not be an All-Star, but outside of DeMarcus Cousins, or longshots like LeBron James or Paul George, a player who I would love to see in a Pels jersey is Will Barton. Barton is just one of those terrific, jack-of-all-trades wings. Over the past three years, he’s been a consistently decent three-point shooter and secondary ball handler. He’s athletic, he’s long, he can play the two and the three and he shouldn’t be too expensive, either.
Chris Connor (@Impatientbull):
It really depends on where the Pelicans see themselves, and what the trade market will look like. Given their cap situation, they can probably improve their roster more through trade in the offseason than free agency. If the Pels end up signing DeMarcus Cousins to a long-term deal as expected, they’ll more than likely be looking at low-level veteran additions. Guys like Joe Johnson, Corey Brewer may be on the radar. My favorite would be Wayne Ellington, I, unfortunately, think he’ll be right outside of the Pelicans’ spending range.
Joshua Lea (@joshualeaa):
Honestly, the biggest focus of the off-season should be DeMarcus Cousins. Once they’ve resigned him, they can them decide on players like Rajon Rondo. They’re not going to make a huge splash in free agency. The Lakers and other teams have much more cap room. However, they should be able to retain Boogie.