Zylan Cheatham Could be the Defensive Wing the New Orleans Pelicans Need

The New Orleans Pelicans need depth on the wing, but may already have a player in Zylan Cheatham who can give them what they need.

The New Orleans Pelicans are one of many teams that will be affected if the salary cap drops as predicted.

With little money to spend after the inevitable Brandon Ingram max extension, the Pelicans may have to look for more creative ways to fill out their roster.

This might include taking risks on players who are already on the team. It could speed up the timeline of guys like Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who may be thrust into more prominent roles if the Pelicans can’t find value in free agency.

The lowered salary cap, and the fact that it is likely to spike next year in response, may be enough to get teams to sit on their money, preferring to spend it when they have more to spend and when there are better free agents available.

Some veteran players may find themselves out of a job, or at least taking less money on short-term deals while the league tries to recover from the loss of revenue from the hiatus, which could be in the billions.

G-League and two-way players might be the biggest beneficiary of the lowered cap, as teams are sure to take flyers on low-cost players in an effort to find cheap value.

Zylan Cheatham is one player who falls into this category for the New Orleans Pelicans, who need depth on the wing but may not have the free cap space to get it.

The 24-year-old forward out of Arizona State is an intriguing player and could provide many of the things the Pelicans need out of a backup wing.

Zylan Cheatham is a unique player with some strengths and glaring weaknesses who could fit in well on the New Orleans Pelicans if given a chance.