New Orleans Pelicans: 4 trades that could upgrade the bench

The New Orleans Pelicans may need a trade to upgrade their bench. Here are four players who could be available.

The New Orleans Pelicans went into last offseason needing to upgrade their bench depth, especially at the wing, power forward and center positions.

After two games it is starting to look like they still do, as Nicolo Melli and Jaxson Hayes have provided little behind Zion Williamson and Steven Adams.

The same is true on the wing, where Brandon Ingram doesn’t really have a backup and the Pels could use some size.

It’s far too early to panic, but the Pels’ lack of depth is going to come into play at some point in the season, so they may have to make a trade.

Here are four players who would be upgrades for the bench. They aren’t stars but would be better than what the Pels are currently running out there.

We have a couple of veterans who know how to defend, a project and a younger player who could move the needle.

New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels need wing depth behind Brandon Ingram

Trevor Ariza

I wrote that the Pels could try to use Nickeil Alexander-Walker in a trade to get a veteran wing defender and most thought I was nuts after NAW had a good preseason.

He’s yet to play in the regular season and is buried on the depth chart while the Pels continue to struggle defending the wing.

Ariza is 35-years-old but can still play, evidenced by the 21 games he played in the bubble for Portland. He is currently listed as day-to-day, so teams will be waiting to see if he is fully healthy, but Ariza is a guy who is likely to get traded at some point.

He’s on the final year of a $12.8 million contract and can still be a solid backup 3-and-D wing.