The New Orleans Pelicans have the draft assets to trade for a superstar like James Harden.
The New Orleans Pelicans have approximately 800 future draft picks after trading Jrue Holiday to the Milwaukee Bucks, then trading three picks in the 2020 NBA Draft for future selections.
This is a smart move, as small-market teams like the Pelicans need to rely on the draft and trades to get their stars, as most of the top free agents are heading to the coasts.
Even after trading the 2023 Denver pick, George Hill and two second-rounders for Steven Adams, the Pelicans still have a lot of draft capital.
The Pels are hoping that Milwaukee will be a lottery team by the time they get the Bucks’ unprotected picks in 2025 and 2027, picks that could be worth a ton if Milwaukee doesn’t re-sign Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But teams can only add so many rookies to the roster, so some of these picks will obviously be moved before they are conveyed.
The Pelicans not only have a ton of picks but currently have at least four guys under contract who are some kind of point guard or tweener shooting guard, so they have a surplus from which to trade.
New Orleans Pelicans: Trading for James Harden could make sense
The Houston Rockets are in a tough spot, as both Russell Westbrook and Harden have expressed some level of dissatisfaction this offseason, with Harden reportedly asking for a trade to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets don’t have the combination of young talent and picks that the Rockets would likely covet in a trade.
The Rockets have next to zero future draft capital after trading for Westbrook and would be looking to recover some of what they lost if they do move either him or Harden.
But how many picks would it take?
Is 31-year-old Harden worth risking the future? Let’s take a look at a potential trade.
New Orleans Pelicans: A proposed trade for James Harden for Lonzo Ball package
A trade for James Harden
The Pels now have two first-round picks in 2022, 2025 and 2027 plus pick swaps in 2023, 2024 and 2026. That is six guaranteed picks plus three more chances to swap with either the Lakers or Bucks if their pick is higher.
The Pelicans will never have the roster spots to add so many rookies, nor would they want to, as they would like to win at some point and not just build the best team of guys under 20-years-old.
The great thing about having so many picks is that they can give them up and still have their own, so it won’t kill their future flexibility.
In this trade, the Pelicans deal from their ample draft capital, sending four unprotected first-round picks plus two pick swaps on top of young talent Lonzo Ball and veteran shooter J.J. Redick.
The Rockets may want more picks considering what Jrue Holiday fetched but there is only one other team in the league (OKC) who has more picks than New Orleans and I am pretty sure Harden is not going back there.
Would either team consider such a move? Let’s take a look.
New Orleans Pelicans: Would Rockets want Lonzo Ball in a James Harden trade?
Why the Rockets would do it
If the Rockets feel like keeping both James Harden and Russell Westbrook is untenable (NOTE: Westbrook has since been traded to the Wizards), then one or both of them have to go and Harden will get a much bigger return.
The question is whether the Rockets would be interested in Lonzo Ball as the centerpiece player in the package. He does fit on the Rockets whether they trade Westbrook or not and would give them a popular and ascending player to sell to their fans.
If Houston wants to rebuild, this is the way to do it, as they would have enough picks to control the draft for years to come or to make a move for a new superstar of their own.
Texas will always have appeal to free agents, as there is no state tax, so the Rockets could rebuild quickly around their picks, cap space and free agents.
But do they want to? That is the big question.
Most reports think the Rockets want back another superstar for Harden but I have news for them, that’s not happening unless that player’s name is Kyrie Irving, who is not a guy I’d want to build around.
Houston is in a tough spot but they don’t have to do anything if they don’t get an offer they like. The New Orleans Pelicans have more to offer than just about anyone, but would they be willing to sacrifice some of the future for a chance at titles now?
New Orleans Pelicans: Trading for James Harden makes sense
Why the Pelicans would do it
The goal of any NBA team should be to win titles, not to sell their fans on the potential of winning them ten years from now.
Small market teams have the nasty habit of not going for it when they have the chance, instead they pass on chances to get better now for the hope of future players. It’s the “carrot in front of the donkey” that small-market teams dangle in front of fans to keep them engaged even when they aren’t winning.
The point is to win and if you can put together a title team without giving up Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram, you do it.
Adding James Harden to this roster would make the Pelicans legit contenders right away and for the entirety of Zion’s rookie deal. Harden’s contract ends just in time to re-sign Zion and by then they could have a title or at least a deep playoff run that may convince him to stay.
Also, the Pelicans have so many picks that they could do this deal and still have picks in every draft except next year.
They’d have to make some additional roster moves but this would be their tentative rotation:
PG: Eric Bledsoe, Kira Lewis Jr.
SG: James Harden, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
SF: Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart
PF: Zion Williamson, Nicolo Melli, Wenyen Gabriel
C: Steven Adams, Jaxson Hayes, Willy Hernangomez
A Zion/Harden or Adams/Harden pick-and-roll would be nearly unstoppable and this team would have the potential to be an offensive juggernaut. The defense should be much improved with the addition of Adams plus a defensive-minded coach in Stan Van Gundy.
This team is now a primary free-agent destination as well and the Pels could lure even more veterans who want to chase rings with their new “Big 3” of Harden, Zion and Ingram.
In my opinion, hoarding draft picks is only worth it if you eventually turn them into stars, so the Pels should be looking for one to add to their core. They can push in their chips for the chance to win titles in Zion’s rookie deal.