The Pelicans are playing roster shuffle this season
By Joshua Lea
The Pelicans are searching for unlikely answers for the roster in the form of 10-day contracts. Looking back, the shuffling of players in and out of New Orleans is interesting.
The Pelicans are 31-26 and on the edge of the playoff race. Recently, they’ve been handing out a couple 10-day contracts. Emeka Okafor is on his second 10-day deal, while G-League standout Walter Lemon Jr. is celebrating his first 10-day deal. Okafor’s 10-day deal ends in three days, he’ll be a free agent unless the Pelicans offer him another deal.
This season, the Pelicans have had some well-known, yet aging players on their roster. Former Atlanta Hawk sensation Josh Smith played three games in October. Jordan Crawford played just two games this season for the Pelicans after playing 19 last season. Perry Jones, who was originally drafted by the OKC Thunder, also spent time with the Pelicans this season.
Then there’s the contract of DeAndre Liggins. Sometimes, these contracts are low-risk, high payoff rewards. Liggins has been lackluster since signing a two-year deal. In nine games, Liggins is averaging two points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal for the Pels. Liggins was inserted into the starting lineup role for one game this season. That stint with the starting five was short live as Rondo was back to being the starter the very next game.
When a team suffers significant injuries, the GM has to do the exact same thing we fans do in our fantasy leagues. We go to the waiver wire and find a suitable player that would ideally fit the needs of the missing injured player. Sometimes, it works and sometimes we drop or waive the player two days later.
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One thing the Pels should be thankful for is they’re not stuck in a situation where they’re strong-armed by a player making more than the league minimum to sit on the bench. The Los Angeles Lakers are paying Luol Deng roughly $18 million dollars a year. He has yet to see the floor for the Lakers this season.
Joakim Noah is in the same situation for the New York Knicks. He’s earning around $18 million a year and has played in seven games so far this season. The Knicks are exploring a buyout situation for Noah. Because of these situations, the Pelicans should consider themselves lucky. They aren’t in this type of situation. Currently, the Lakers and Knicks are nowhere near the playoffs, and both franchises are a circus.
Due to 10-day and two way contracts, the Pelicans have been able to make smart, low-risk signings that don’t leave them strapped this season. The number one objective this offseason is to retain DeMarcus Cousins, they’ll have the cap space to do so. They also traded four players close to the trade deadline and kept one. The Pels acquired Nikola Mirotic for Jameer Nelson, Tony Allen, and Omer Asik. They also traded Dante Cunningham to Brooklyn for Rashad Vaughan, however, Vaughan is a free agent on waivers.
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Fans have to see what the Pels are doing, they’re unloading contracts and cap while trying to keep enough players on the roster to make the playoffs. These small deals are a means to keep the ship sailing during the season. As a result, you can’t claim they’re tanking, which would have a negative impact on the pending return of Cousins.