The New Orleans Pelicans’ frontcourt could be in even worse shape than you’d expect after the incoming Anthony Davis trade. It’ll need fixed, and quickly.
For the New Orleans Pelicans, a lot of questions will remain unanswered until David Griffin is able to lock down the best possible trade return for the departing Anthony Davis. Clearly when a team loses a superstar, it’s tough to find the right sort of replacement. It’s possible that an adequate big could be returned in whatever AD trade wins, but the team could also be left in a very tough position in regards to their frontcourt.
This issue gets more complicated when you remember that fellow big-man Julius Randle could become an unrestricted free agent this summer and will likely command a much higher contract than his current $9 million he’d be owed if he opts into his current deal. Randle could get expensive quickly, and there’s some question about whether or not he’s really the right fit for a rebuild despite his undeniable ability to light up the scoreboard.
So, let’s assume Anthony Davis is traded, and the New Orleans Pelicans return a core of a couple of players like sophomore Jayson Tatum and young wing Jaylen Brown. The backcourt for the Pelicans could run well with Brown and Jrue Holiday paired together, and Tatum would be the perfect small forward next to them. But if Julius Randle departs the team in this scenario as well, the starting 4 and 5 positions could be concerning for the Pelicans.
If Anthony Davis and Julius Randle both end up elsewhere, that leaves the New Orleans Pelicans with some combination of Kenrich Williams, Cheick Diallo, Jahlil Okafor, and Christian Wood to be the bigs for the team. Okafor had some nice moments this season and is on a dirt-cheap contract (relatively speaking), but he’s likely not the answer here with some of his well-known short comings. Christian Wood finished the season with a bang, but he’s still unproven in the NBA despite his G-League dominance and it’s debatable whether or not he could start for this team.
Like Okafor, Diallo and Williams had some bright spots in 2018-2019, but these aren’t players generally regarded as starters on a playoff team. If the Pelicans are truly going full rebuild, so be it. These guys can see all the minutes they want in that case. But if the goal is to flip Anthony Davis to construct a roster that’s back in the postseason as soon as possible, this might not be the frontcourt to get them there.
The good news is, David Griffin knows how to build a champion, and there’s no reason to doubt he’d be able to figure out this frontcourt deficit one way or another this offseason. It could be that he swings another trade in addition to the AD one that bolsters the big-men. Or maybe he’ll snag a guy in the NBA Draft or in free agency that fixes this need as well. There’s no reason to doubt his ability to figure this out, but on paper, a new, adequate big will be needed as soon as possible for New Orleans.
There are so many things up in the air for the New Orleans Pelicans until they’re finally able to trade Anthony Davis elsewhere. Look for the situation in the frontcourt to be the top priority after a deal is made.