Pelica Debrief
Fansided

Ranking the New Orleans Pelicans from most to least available before NBA Trade Deadline

By Willie Lutz

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 31: Zion Williamson #1 and Brandon Ingram #14 of the New Orleans Pelicans: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 31: Zion Williamson #1 and Brandon Ingram #14 of the New Orleans Pelicans: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 18: Jahlil Okafor #8 of the New Orleans Pelicans fights for position during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 18, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 18: Jahlil Okafor #8 of the New Orleans Pelicans fights for position during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 18, 2019 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

15. Darius Miller

After tearing his Achilles tendon this July, shooting guard Darius Miller was ruled out for the 2019-2020 NBA season, meaning the Pelicans would receive an injury exemption for his unoccupied roster spot. While the team has still not added a player to fill his position on the team, the deadline could open up that opportunity.

Miller carries a two-year deal, worth $7.25 million this season and non-guaranteed $7 million for the next, a deal that was inked just a handful of weeks before the team opened training camp.

For the New Orleans Pelicans, attaching Miller’s contract with picks could be an appealing way to go after trade at the deadline, as they’ll be able to match salaries without trading away a member of their active roster.

14. Jahlil Okafor

Once picked with the third-overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Jahlil Okafor continues to underwhelm as an NBA center.

This season in New Orleans, he’s averaging 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds, but he still hasn’t made a tangible leap on the defensive end, an area where he’s always looked a step slow.

If the Pelicans were to find someone on the buyout market who fit their team, it seems likely that Jahlil Okafor could easily be cut from his veteran’s minimum deal, a $1.7 million cap figure that’ll be off of the team’s book after the season.

13. Kenrich  Williams

After a promising start to the 2019-2020 campaign, second-year forward Kenrich Williams has disappeared on the New Orleans Pelicans’ bench and has effectively played himself out of the team’s rotations.

Averaging 3.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 35 games so far this season, Williams has at times been a valuable contributor for this team, even picking up 18 starts early in the year.

However, once his shot stopped falling it made him hard to keep in the lineup. Williams is shooting 34.3% from the field, 26% from three on 2.7 attempts per game, and only hitting 37.5% from the free-throw line.

While Williams has dealt with injuries throughout the year and has now missed 13 consecutive games, making it hard to imagine the Pelicans saying no to his inclusion in a package that brings a favorable piece back to New Orleans.

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