3 Players the New Orleans Pelicans Could Trade this Offseason

Jrue Holiday, Guard

This one is tough.

We recently wrote that Holiday is the face of the franchise, and could be like Drew Brees is for the Saints if he were to finish his career with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Holiday is a plus defender, plays well off the ball, creates his own shots and gets them for others, so he’d seem to be the perfect shooting guard for a team with loads of potential scorers.

There is also a strong argument that Holiday is the best player on the New Orleans Pelicans and should be paid like it.

The problem is that he won’t be the best player on the team forever.

Holiday is currently 29, and is having one of his best seasons, so now is probably the time to get as much as they can for him.

The Contract

Holiday is signed through the 2021-22 season and will make $26.1 million next year and $27 million the next.

This is not a terrible deal for the Pelicans, as Holiday falls into a similar salary range as other guards of his stature.

The problem is that most other teams don’t have Zion, Lonzo and Ingram.

If all three of these players end up on max or even super-max deals, then there is no way they can keep Holiday as well.

As great as it is to have two talented playmakers in Holiday and Ball, the reality is that it is a luxury the Pelicans probably can’t afford past this season.

The New Orleans Pelicans are in a great spot, but it is going to be complicated moving forward if they want to retain the bulk of their young core.

Building an NBA title contender is a tricky business, as most executives agree that you need a “Big 3” but also a deep bench to make a run.

Something will have to give for New Orleans, whether it is preemptively trading one of their young players with potential or trying to move their biggest contract.

This offseason will be unprecedented in many ways and the New Orleans Pelicans will be in the thick of trade and free agent rumors.