Who’s Opting Out and How Does it Affect the New Orleans Pelicans?
By Tim Burke
New Orleans Pelicans: Players opting out of NBA Disney helps the Pels
Avery Bradley: Los Angeles Lakers
Avery Bradley is a significant loss for a contending team here. While he’s not relied on for scoring, he’s a necessary component of the Lakers’ defense. In a Western Conference loaded with tough wings (the Clippers especially), the Lakers were hoping for Bradley to take some of the pressure off LeBron James and allow him to focus more on the offensive end.
Without Bradley the Lakers will probably play Alex Caruso more minutes. Caruso is good defensively, but lacks Bradley’s experience and versatility.
Willie Cauley-Stein: Dallas Mavericks
Willie Cauley-Stein is the most likely player to gloss over on this list but he’s provided the Mavericks’ bench with a good rebounding presence in his limited minutes since joining the team in late January.
His 4.6 rebounds per game don’t seem like a lot but that’s good for sixth on the team while only playing 12.1 minutes in his 13 games with the franchise. His loss also thins out the frontcourt for a franchise that was wary of playing Kristaps Porzingis as the lone big. The good news is we may all be treated to more Boban Marjanovic because of this.
LaMarcus Aldridge: San Antonio Spurs
LaMarcus Aldridge will be a very big loss for a Spurs team that was trying to make the playoffs for the 23rd straight year (would have been a record). Even though they were four games behind the Grizzlies for the eighth seed, the Spurs were just a half of a game behind the Trailblazers, Pelicans, and Kings for the potential play-in spot. Aldridge was the second-leading scorer, as well as the leading rebounder and shot-blocker for the Spurs. Without Aldridge, the San Antonio playoff streak feels over.
Bojan Bogdanovic: Utah Jazz
Bojan Bogdanovic is the biggest loss for a team on this list. The Jazz needed the scoring that Bogdanovic provides along with being a decent defender (had more Defensive Win Shares than Ariza, according to Basketball-Reference). He doesn’t provide a ton of playmaking or rebounding but those departments are more than taken care of in Utah. What they no longer have is a 20 point per game scorer who against the Pelicans this season had a 35 point game without getting a rebound, assist, steal or block.
DeMarcus Cousins: Free Agent
DeMarcus Cousins was not with a team when the NBA paused the season, he was recovering from a torn ACL while with the Lakers. A few teams were rumored to be interested in bringing in the big man but he decided not to risk further injury by returning too early and will instead sit out the Orlando phase of this strange NBA season.