New Orleans Pelicans: Two trades to target at the deadline
The New Orleans Pelicans have one of the worst benches in the NBA and would love to add some depth at the trade deadline, especially if it doesn’t cost them much in terms of players.
David Griffin should be scouring the league for guys who might flourish with more minutes or who might not have a future with their current team.
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They have a number of holes and all of them are related to the bench.
The Pelicans are getting next to nothing out of anyone not named Josh Hart, though Willy Hernangomez has been solid since earning a spot in the rotation.
The Pels need more size, they need defenders and if they could get a reliable shooter who could come off the bench and actually make some long-range shots, that would be great.
New Orleans Pelicans: The bench needs an upgrade
The Pelicans have one of the better starting fives in the NBA, so their problems have nothing to do with the starters.
Even after a surge of 3-point shooting from Lonzo Ball, the Pelicans are still just 14th in the NBA in 3-point shooting, largely because no one on their bench has knocked them down with consistency.
They could also use a backup for Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson who are both playing huge minutes and will eventually wear down if they aren’t already.
Two players immediately spring to mind who might help these needs.
One is a low-cost shooter who needs a fresh start on a team that can actually get him some open looks and the other is a guy whose role has recently changed and might not have a long-term future with his team.
Let’s start with the low-cost shooter.