The next New Orleans Pelicans’ coach will affect the roster and status of Jrue Holiday.
When the New Orleans Pelicans fired Alvin Gentry it was still summer and the NBA playoffs were just about to begin.
By the time the next Pelicans’ coach is hired, we will be well into Fall with the NBA Draft just weeks away.
The Pels still haven’t tipped their hand about who the next coach will be but it appears they are deciding between a first-time head coach like Jamahl Mosley or Will Weaver or a more experienced guy like Stan Van Gundy.
The difference between these two types of hires will likely have drastic effects on the makeup of the roster and the future of Jrue Holiday specifically.
Holiday has been rumored in all types of trades to teams like the Nets, Nuggets, Clippers and Pacers, teams that are competing for a title and would like to add another established piece.
J.J. Redick is another name that keeps popping up in trade rumors. Like Holiday, he is a proven player and brings an elite NBA skill that would complement almost any team.
Both Holiday and Redick would net a haul in a trade and with most of the Pels’ roster in their early 20’s, it would make sense to get assets that better fit the timeline of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
There’s been no indication about whether the Pelicans are even interested in trading these players, this is all speculation, but we will definitely know more about how they plan to attack the future once they hire a new coach.
Here are a couple of different scenarios based on which coach is eventually hired by the New Orleans Pelicans.
New Orleans Pelicans head coach search: Jamahl Mosely means a youth movement
If Jamahl Mosley is hired
First off, I am only using Jamahl Mosley as an example of a first-time head coach. He is also on the younger side, so represents the type of coach the Pels might hire if they are thinking about the long-term.
A coach like Mosley or Will Weaver is young enough to grow with the players and potentially stay with the team for a long stint. He is also more likely to build a rapport with young players who were barely alive when Stan Van Gundy was in Orlando.
Hiring a first-time head coach might mean that the Pelicans are thinking about the long-term, in which case, it makes sense to trade Jrue Holiday and J.J. Redick for players and draft assets.
In this case, trading Holiday for a young player and a lottery pick would make a whole lot of sense. We’ve outlined a few trades above, but the most appealing might be the deal with Golden State.
In such a deal the Pels would take back a player like Andrew Wiggins and the #2 pick in the draft, which would set them up with a young, versatile roster for their new coach to mold.
They could trade Redick to someone like the Lakers, Suns or any other team looking for 3-point shooting. By the end, the Pelicans could amass the assets and cap space to go after a big name like Bradley Beal in a trade or pick up an impact free agent.
Hiring a young, first-time head coach could be the sign that the New Orleans Pelicans are all-in on the youth movement and will take advantage of their veteran contracts to set up the roster for years to come.
New Orleans Pelicans head coach search: Stan Van Gundy wants to win now
If Stan Van Gundy is hired
Whichever coach the New Orleans Pelicans hire, they will be looking for someone to establish a culture of consistent winning.
But if you hire a veteran coach like Stan Van Gundy, you don’t do it with a five-year plan in mind, you do it because you think you can win now.
If Van Gundy is hired, you can rest assured that J.J. Redick will be on the roster. Van Gundy and Redick have a good relationship and the veteran sharpshooter would be his biggest ally in the locker room.
Van Gundy would probably also mean that Jrue Holiday isn’t going anywhere, as he gives the Pelicans the best chance to win now. Hiring Stan Van Gundy means the franchise thinks that they are close to being playoff contenders and they want to speed up the timeline.
That probably means keeping your veterans and possibly trading away some of the young talent to get more proven players. Hiring a guy like Van Gundy might mean players like Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and even Lonzo Ball could be on the trading block.
When asked about the Pelicans’ roster Van Gundy raved about their young core of “Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson” without mentioning Lonzo Ball. Ball would be another piece that could potentially bring back a haul.
I’m not saying that Van Gundy would advocate trading Lonzo or that he doesn’t like him, just that a veteran head coach may look more to win now as opposed to building for the future.
Van Gundy is also a well-known and respected coach that can likely recruit some veterans to come and play for less money.
The New Orleans Pelicans need to hire a head coach so that person can get started evaluating draft picks and implementing their system.
The Pelicans can go a lot of different directions and who they pick will tell us a lot.