New Orleans Pelicans will need to make midseason trade to make playoffs

The New Orleans Pelicans lack the depth to make the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference.

The New Orleans Pelicans will have some fresh faces when the season kicks off in a few weeks but will they be enough to make the playoffs?

The Pelicans narrowly missed the playoffs last season after fizzling out in the bubble and are hoping the changes to their roster will be enough to get them there this season.

The defense should be improved with the additions of Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe, but other than that, the Pelicans haven’t made any impact moves.

Kira Lewis Jr. is only 19-years-old and can’t be expected to make a huge impact in year one. The other Pels’ additions, guys like Willy Hernangomez and Wenyen Gabriel are fringe role players who may not even make the rotation.

The Pelicans’ bench, which was a huge weakness last season, could be even worse unless some of these unknowns step up, so how exactly are the Pels going to get better?

The New Orleans Pelicans will need a midseason trade to add depth

Right now, the Pelicans bench does not look a whole lot different than last season. They have solid contributors in JJ Redick and Josh Hart, then a whole lot of unknowns.

Nicolo Melli forgot how to shoot after February of last year and doesn’t contribute much anywhere else. Nickeil Alexander-Walker was a turnover machine in the bubble and does not look ready to handle big minutes.

Jaxson Hayes should be better, but are we really expecting a huge leap from a 20-year-old who just had a shortened offseason?

Names like Wenyen Gabriel, Sindarius Thornwell and Willy Hernangomez are hardly going to strike fear into opponents.

The Pelicans still need a big wing who can defend and overall depth on their bench, and they may have to make a trade to get it.

The most likely candidates are Redick and Bledsoe, who both have moveable salaries and value to other teams.

Could the Pels fetch a few contributors in exchange for one? If not, this bench could be brutal and the Pels might be watching the playoffs from home again.