It is unclear if the New Orleans Pelicans will be buyers or sellers at this year’s trade deadline, which is rapidly approaching.
The Pelicans are currently out of of the playoffs, but because the Western Conference has not been as good as expected, they are still hanging around, though the clock is ticking with each loss.
If the Pelicans do make a trade at the the deadline, there are at least five teams that make sense as partners.
Let’s take a look at which teams would be good trade partners for the Pelicans at the deadline.
New Orleans Pelicans: Trading with the Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls have been in a lot of Lonzo Ball trade rumors, though there is no indication that there has been any movement between the two teams.
The Bulls make some sense as a destination for Lonzo, though the Pelicans would be crazy to sell low on him unless there was a decent haul coming back.
Lauri Markkanen would certainly garner some interest and if the Pelicans really wanted to get crazy they could go after Zach LaVine.
The Bulls stink but could probably make the playoffs in the East, so they are a team to watch if they keep climbing the standings or if they plummet.
New Orleans Pelicans: Trading with the Miami Heat
The Heat are another team that has underperformed this season and they’ve often been mentioned as a potential home for J.J. Redick in a trade.
They do have some interesting players to potentially send back, specifically Kelly Olynyk, who will be a free agent next season and might be worth a tryout if the price is right.
The Heat are another team that will evaluate their position in the standings at the deadline before deciding what to do with some of their expiring deals.