New Orleans Pelicans: Free Agent Options in the Pacific Division
Pacific Division
Los Angeles Lakers- Dwight Howard
Markieff Morris would be an interesting pickup, but only if he is on a similar contract to the one he is on now, which is unlikely. The Pelicans need rim protection and Dwight Howard provides it. He’s been great for the Lakers this year in a comeback season of sorts. Howard is playing fewer minutes but they are effective ones, and he still gets over a blocked shot per game. I am in the camp that does not believe Zion needs a stretch-five next to him and that the Pelicans are a soft team that needs some grown adult muscle. Howard has that if nothing else, grabs rebounds and adds some level of intimidation to the post, where there is currently none.
Los Angeles Clippers- Patrick Patterson
The Clippers have some guys the Pels would love, but would be out of their range in Marcus Morris and Montrezl Harrell. Reggie Jackson is another option as a backup point guard, but ultimately he doesn’t really fit into what the Pelicans need. That leaves Patrick Patterson, a veteran stretch-four option who could come in and compete with Nicolo Melli for minutes. I’d rather have a defender here, but Patterson is a proven professional with some size who shoots 39% from 3-point range.
Phoenix Suns- Aron Baynes
This one is tough, as I also like Dario Saric as a reclamation project who could still be an elite 3-point shooter and scorer at some point. But Aron Baynes fills an immediate need, can defend the paint and has developed into a pretty good 3-point shooter. He might be out of the Pels range, as there are a lot of teams who could use his skill set, but if they have the space, Baynes is a guy to keep an eye on, as is Saric, who someone might hit the lottery with if they buy low on his talent.
Sacramento Kings- Harry Giles
The Kings have Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kent Bazemore hitting free agency, but there is little chance the Pelicans would be able to afford them. Harry Giles might fall into the same category depending on how the rest of the league views his talents. He’s still young, has size and has flashed some big potential, but he also disappears at times, so the jury is still out. Someone might swoop in and offer him a big deal based on talent alone, but if the market doesn’t develop the Pels should have interest.
Golden State Warriors- NONE
Depending on how the Warriors handle their partially guaranteed guys, they might literally have zero free agents. Their payroll is fixed for the next several years, and the Warriors have banked big on the health of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins because they have nothing else. It will be interesting to see how the Warriors fill out their roster and if they use the #2 pick in the draft to bring back some players who can actually play.