New Orleans Pelicans: Trade or Keep? Where each Pelican fits at deadline

The New Orleans Pelicans are now four games back from the 8th seed as the midway point approaches.

With a difficult schedule in the second half, the Pels’ chances at a playoff berth are dwindling, though no one has really separated themselves from the pack that the Pelicans are currently in.

The New Orleans Pelicans will have to decide whether to be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline and have some tough decisions to make.

Others aren’t so difficult, as the Pelicans clearly have some guys who are not great fits around Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram and need to be traded for players who are.

I detailed the type of players the Pelicans need to put around Zion, and they currently have only one of them, maybe two.

When it comes to who to trade and who who to keep, Zion and Ingram are the only absolutely, no chance it is happening guys on the list, and the rest are all up for debate. I am not going to include them on the list because there is no feasible trade out there that would involve either of the franchise cornerstones.

So who to trade and who to keep? Let’s break it down by position, starting with the easiest one.

New Orleans Pelicans: Trade or keep? Power Forwards

Nicolo Melli-trade

This one is about as easy as it gets.

The New Orleans Pelicans would trade Nicolo Melli for a plate of decently cooked pasta at this point, though they’d be hard pressed to find anyone who wants a stretch-four who can’t shoot, defend or rebound.

Wenyen Gabriel-trade

Same with Wenyen Gabriel, who has not been able to crack a rotation that literally does not have a backup at his position. That’s not a good sign.

If the Pelicans could move Gabriel and a 2nd-round pick for an underachieving shooter on a bad team, they should pick up the phone.

Trade both if you can get anything or just to get them off the bench.