New Orleans Pelicans: 5 Pels most likely to be traded before the deadline
The New Orleans Pelicans may need to make a trade before the deadline, but who is the most likely to go?
The New Orleans Pelicans overhauled their team this offseason, adding five new players to the roster.
But even after all of the moves, the Pelicans still have some needs, so it might require another trade before the deadline to balance the roster.
light. Related Story. Are the Pels better or worse? A breakdown of each position
The Pels could definitely use a wing, particularly someone with size who can defend and shoot a little. They did bring in some competition for Nicolo Melli at backup power forward but the depth is still suspect behind Zion Williamson as well.
The Pelicans did address the center and hopefully backup point guard openings with the additions of Steven Adams and Kira Lewis Jr. but I’m sure Stan Van Gundy would like a few more weapons to work with.
The Pelicans have ample draft assets to trade from, as well as a few players who might net a return, especially if they were part of a package. Here are the five players the Pels are most likely to trade, working from most to least likely.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels could pursue a trade for Nicolo Melli
Most Likely: Nicolo Melli
I’ve written about some potential trade spots for Melli that might bring back a wing, and if the Pels could make such a deal, they should jump at it.
With the current roster construction, a “stretch” four who can’t defend seems like a bit of a luxury, especially when he’s backing up a guy with Zion’s injury history.
When Melli is hitting his shots he is an important part of the offense, but when he isn’t? He doesn’t bring much to the table. The Pels ended up relying far too heavily on contributions from Melli and he stopped making them sometime around February of last year when he couldn’t make a shot.
The addition of Wenyen Gabriel may make Melli expendable, especially if they can get back a wing in return. A package of Melli (expiring contract) and a pick might bring back a return from a team looking to shed future salary or add some shooting.