New Orleans Pelicans ugly loss to Houston solidifies need for deadline add

The New Orleans Pelicans lost a frustrating game on Sunday afternoon in Houston, a game where the team’s bench felt a player too shallow.

Sunday afternoon was supposed to be a nice appetizer before the big game for New Orleans Pelicans fans, but a sloppy 109-117 loss on the road to the Houston Rockets has everyone a little on edge.

With the NBA Trade Deadline just around the corner on Wednesday, the Pelicans have to decide if they’re going to bolster this roster for a playoff run, hold to evaluate the piece currently on the roster for the summer, or sell off a piece to continue adding assets for the future.

There seems to be a number of untouchable pieces of this team’s young core. Headlined by Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball, it seems hard to imagine seeing the team moving Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaxson Hayes, or Josh Hart in any trade before the deadline.

On The Ryen Russillo Podcast, ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski doubted that the Pelicans would include J.J. Redick in any trade package due to his veteran presence and perimeter scoring ability.

Speculation swirls around the availability of the team’s longtime, two-way guard in Jrue Holiday. Still, it seems the team would rather move him in the summer, but potentially not move him at all.

After a poor offensive performance against Houston, posting 11 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, and 4 pretty bad turnovers while shooting 0-for-5 from three, fans are calling on the team to consider moving Holiday before Wednesday’s deadline.

However, Holiday has been a pretty effective piece for the Pelicans this season up to this point, averaging 20 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 44.5% from the floor with his same stifling brand of defense.

Last week, I wrote that I think the Pelicans should strongly consider trading their 2020 First Round selection for another veteran talent at the deadline.

Seemingly, Derrick Rose is an effective player off of the Detroit Pistons‘ bench that could be acquired for a package around that pricepoint and could provide a lot of late-game scoring for a team that’s had struggles in the clutch.

Perhaps the best fit for New Orleans would be a deal for Sacramento Kings‘ stretch-forward Nemanja Bjelica who is on a favorable contract and provides a pretty good veteran presence.

Another attractive piece that would come at a higher price would be Minnesota Timberwolves‘ forward Robert Covington, who is a target for many teams around the league.

While Covington could cost the Pelicans more favorable assets than they’re willing to give up, but it depends on how hard this front office is willing to push to make a run at the playoffs.

This afternoon was a very frustrating loss for the New Orleans Pelicans, who committed 21 turnovers in the loss, but the team continues to show a lot of positive signs into the future.

However, this loss to Houston should put some urgency on the front office to bolster this roster, as this year’s free-agent class doesn’t look favorable for many due to the number of players who signed multi-year deals in last year’s group.

The New Orleans Pelicans are now 20-30 on the season and 4.5 games out of the eighth seed in the West, though they missed a chance to jump the Phoenix Suns to become the 11th seed in the conference.