Pelicans Rumors: Are the Atlanta Hawks legitimately in the Davis trade conversation?
By Cody Taylor
John Collins
The Hawks center enjoyed a borderline All-Star year for the rebuilding Atlanta Hawks and was a bright spot for the team besides rookie Trae Young. Collins enjoyed a score line of 19/9/2 on 56% shooting from the field and 34.8% from beyond the three-point line. Collins would definitely be the center of the future for the New Orleans Pelicans in an Anthony Davis trade. He is a young budding player who, in his second year, has shown growth and improvement. He would be a great post anchor and able to set screens to free up players and spread the floor. If I’m moving Anthony Davis to the Atlanta Hawks, Collins is a must.
Kevin Huerter
Huerter enjoyed a decent rookie season beside Trae Young going 9/3/2 on 41.9% shooting from the field and 38.5% from the three-point line. Huerter possesses a good stroke from three-point range that looks like it’ll continue to develop as he grows as a player. While having a slightly shorter wingspan than a traditional shooting guard, he did have a good defensive presence with .9 steals per game. The Pelicans were terrible from distance in 2018/19, and Huerter’s capability of knocking down perimeter shots would be welcoming.
Alex Len
The former fifth overall selection back in 2013 held a solid bench scoreline of 11/5/1 on 49.4% shooting from the field and 36.3% from beyond the three-point line. Although he’s fresh off a career year, Len could have problems finding an extended role within the Pelicans rotation, especially with Jahlil Okafor on the team. Len hasn’t exactly panned out the way scouts and analysts may have intended, but finding a system that complements his style might be all he needs. Len and Okafor could inadvertently bring the best out of each other competing for a spot, and his aforementioned abilities to knock down the long ball could give him an edge.
David Griffin and Trajan Langdon will make the best possible decision for the organization, that much is guaranteed. It could be the Hawks, it could be the Lakers, it could even be a darkhorse team that emerges from the ashes and shocks the NBA world. All we can do until Wojnarowski or Shams temporarily blows up the Twittersphere with the trade announcement is speculate.