New Orleans Pelicans: Trading Eric Bledsoe to the Bulls makes sense

New Orleans Pelicans: Trading Eric Bledsoe to the Bulls

This one is an even bigger no-brainer for the Pelicans, who need to move off Bledsoe’s contract if they want any chance to re-sign Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart.

Unfortunately, Bledsoe doesn’t have a whole lot of value on the trade market, so expiring deals are pretty much the best the Pels can hope to get.

However, they can at least take a flyer on Chandler Hutchinson, who has missed most of the season with injury but could be a nice fit on the Pelicans in the future as a wing defender who can shoot.

If he doesn’t work out, then the Pels can simply decline his team-friendly option for next season and let him walk but either way he wouldn’t threaten their future cap flexibility.

Valentine and Temple could either be waived or simply allowed to leave in free agency, as their contracts would just be filler to make the salaries work.

This trade would clear Bledsoe’s future cap hold off the books, and get the Pels a player that they can at least take a long look at in the offseason.

Either way, it is not a risk and something that really needs to happen as the Pels try to clear cap space and retool their roster.

This isn’t a blockbuster, but it would help the New Orleans Pelicans build for the future.