New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels can’t trade Lonzo Ball for bench players
The New Orleans Pelicans have had the best starting five in the NBA since Lonzo Ball has gotten on track.
Their bench is still the worst in the NBA and it would be tempting to try and move Lonzo now while his value is high to add to the bench depth and give the Pels a more balanced roster.
The New Orleans Pelicans may very well trade Lonzo Ball before the deadline, but if they do, they should not move him for anything less than another piece of the core.
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The Pels should avoid the “four quarters equals a dollar” mentality and hold onto Lonzo Ball unless there is a big offer on the table that lands them a star in return.
Here are the reasons why.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels are sniffing the playoffs
The Pels are just 1.5 games out of the final playoff spot after their recent surge and have a favorable schedule to close out the first half of the season.
There are just 14 games remaining before the All-Star break and the Pels might be in the playoff picture by then.
Considering this team had to adjust to a new coach and scheme and is finally showing signs of life, there is no reason to be in a hurry to trade Lonzo Ball.
If he continues playing like this the Pels should try to re-sign him in the offseason and make him part of the core.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels lack the depth to lose Lonzo Ball
I’ve seen a lot of crazy trade proposals for Lonzo Ball and most of them involve the Pels taking back 3-4 mediocre players to fill out their bench.
While these types of players might give the Pels more depth and might be better than what they already have, they are not going to replace Lonzo’s contributions to this team.
If the Pels are going to trade Ball, they need to find a guy who is at least as talented and maybe fits the roster a little better.
The Pels’ starting five is the strength of this team, something that should be built around, not torn down and amended with lesser players.
The New Orleans Pelicans should avoid trading Lonzo Ball unless he is part of a package to land a star, otherwise, they’d be selling low on a guy who could be that star himself.
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