New Orleans Pelicans: The pros and cons of trading Lonzo Ball

Should the New Orleans Pelicans trade Lonzo Ball?

That is the question fans are asking after rumors started circulating that the Pels were taking calls about J.J. Redick and Lonzo Ball.

Some fans think the Pels should cut bait and get what they can get for their point guard while others think Lonzo is a future star who the Pels should not give up on.

It’s a tough call.

Trading a player before he hits his prime is always a gamble, but there is also the chance that this IS his prime, so paying a max contract for an unknown is also a pretty big risk.

The Pels will be taking a leap of faith either way.

Here are some of the pros and cons of trading Lonzo Ball, starting with the idea of trading him well before the deadline.

New Orleans Pelicans: Should the Pels trade Lonzo Ball now?

Trading Lonzo Ball now

There is still two months before the trade deadline, so even though there is a lot of buzz at the moment, the Pels don’t have to be in a rush to trade Lonzo Ball. Here are the pros and cons of doing the deal now.

Pro: Lonzo Ball is a trade asset right now. He has already missed a couple of games to injury and the Pels need to deal him while he is healthy to get maximum value. Teams will give up more now because they’ll get more season to audition Lonzo for the future.

Also, Lonzo hasn’t been playing well, so there is an argument to deal him before his value plummets even more.

Con: The fact that Lonzo Ball is playing poorly is exactly the reason not to trade him now. This would be selling low on the part of the New Orleans Pelicans. His value can’t get much lower than it is right now, so allowing him to play the next few months will likely increase his value to other teams.