New Orleans Pelicans: Approaching a Nemanja Bjelica swap at deadline

Reported to be interested buyers at the NBA Trade Deadline, the New Orleans Pelicans could look at a lengthy three-point threat in Nemanja Bjelica.

We’re entering the last few days of January and the New Orleans Pelicans are winding themselves into a pretty good situation with 34 games left in their season. Seemingly, the team could be a buyer approaching the NBA Trade Deadline and Nemanja Bjelica is one of the names of interest.

Currently having a career-best season with the Sacramento Kings, Bjelica averages 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and shoots 43.4% from three on 4.5 attempts from beyond the arc.

According to Kevin O’Conner of The Ringer, the Kings already offered Bjelica and a pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma. That trade was declined by the Lakers, who are focused on acquiring Bogdan Bogdanović.

Heading into next week’s trade deadline, the team stands 19-29 in the Western Conference, which is 5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the conference.

With Zion Williamson returning to the floor last week and the team starting to turn their focus towards a playoff push, adding one more rotational veteran seems like a reasonable move for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Important to mention is the front office’s focus on acquiring pieces that can compliment Zion, not only in terms of skill but in terms of financial timeline.

In prospect, the New Orleans Pelicans have a prospect who could fill that Bjelica spot in the long run, but rookie Nicolò Melli still seems to be a season or two away from being a bigger offensive spacing threat.

Certainly a better defender than Melli for the time being, the 31-year-old Bjelica can improve the Pelicans’ rotations on both ends of the floor, even fitting next to Zion as a perimeter-oriented offensive center, while being able to hang under the rim against bigger interior players.

Bjelicia is under contract for just the remainder of this season and next, making $6.8 million this season and with a non-guaranteed $7.2 million on the books that’ll expire after the 2020-2021 season.

Due to Bjelicia’s relatively medium-to-low salary among his peers, it should be relatively uncomplicated for a team like New Orleans to swap salaries while adding in draft assets to sweeten the pot for Sacramento.

Seemingly, the Pelicans could include Darius Miller (whose contract will expire after the season but is out with a torn Achilles tendon) into a deal and the salaries would even themselves out with ease.

Heading into the 2020 NBA Draft, the Kings will have five selections, four of which will come in the second round. In order to bulk up their pick value and potentially add in the offseason via trade, it might be wise for Sacramento to stock up on draft assets.

With the biggest weakness on the New Orleans Pelicans seeming to be their depth on the interior, a move like adding Bjelica certainly seems beneficial for a roster with its sights on making the 2020 NBA Playoffs without hemorrhaging too much of their future to make that push.

While they won’t make the Finals with any moves made at this year’s deadline, the New Orleans Pelicans could set themselves up well for a playoff run this season and an even better situation heading into the next.