New Orleans Pelicans: 4 Trade candidates to keep an eye on next season

The New Orleans Pelicans have a path to getting Giannis Antetokounmpo on their roster in 2021, and that’s why fans should be watching him closely

#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo

Could you imagine, a frontcourt of Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and Giannis Antetokounmpo? I certainly can, and I want every Pelicans fan to imagine it too. Now the question becomes how can we get this to happen? Here’s how.

It all begins with Giannis himself. Jon Horst and the entire front office of the Milwaukee Bucks organization have done a great job in continually attempting to surround him with the pieces needed to win a championship.

It started when the team hired Mike Budenholzer as their head coach and now that Giannis is nearing his free agency, it’s continued with the Bucks desperately trading for Jrue Holiday and adding pieces to their roster in free agency too.

These are great moves, but if the Bucks fail yet again to make it to the NBA Finals, Giannis might just say enough is enough and walk out the door in 2021 rather than signing the supermax extension that Milwaukee is offering him.

If that’s the case and the Pelicans can sell Giannis on a future with Ingram and Williamson, the organization would be in the perfect position to execute a sign and trade with the Bucks. Why? Because if the Bucks offer help Giannis get to New Orleans in a sign and trade, the Pelicans could send the Bucks back all the draft picks that the team gave up in the Jrue Holiday deal.

I know that sounds absolutely crazy and it’s a slim chance but imagine if the Pelicans could pull that off. They get Giannis on board and then instead of losing him for nothing, the Bucks help him get to New Orleans to get their draft capital back.

It couldn’t be more perfect and that’s why even though a lot of Pelicans fans want to see the Bucks succeed because of Jrue Holiday, it might be best to for another agonizing playoff defeat to occur in Milwaukee.