New Orleans Pelicans: 3 trades that would send Lonzo Ball to the Sixers

New Orleans Pelicans: Shake Milton can play Lonzo Ball’s role

There’s only so much you can do with these trades because of the Sixers’ existing assets, but this is another intriguing possibility for the New Orleans Pelicans centered around a young player. Ferguson is back in the trade instead of Tony Bradley to make the money work.

I like this option more than the Tyrese Maxey one largely because Shake Milton is a better fit for the system Stan Van Gundy is running in New Orleans. Ultimately, I think that Milton can play a similar role to the one Lonzo Ball currently has.

Van Gundy wants his two guards to shoot from deep, defend, and contribute some auxiliary playmaking. There isn’t a big creation onus on them because the ball will go through Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram the majority of the time.

Milton can definitely pass or play in the pick-and-roll, but I think he’s at his best when he doesn’t have to make too many decisions. He would get that in New Orleans, but I don’t know if the Sixers would be willing to part ways with a crucial second unit piece.

The Sixers would add Ball’s playmaking and shooting, but if they’re losing more with Milton than with Maxey or Thybulle. Ultimately, it might come down to how much Philadelphia covets Ball.

With just one day to go until the trade deadline, it should be an interesting time for the New Orleans Pelicans that could mark what the rest of the season looks like. The Pels are currently twelfth in the Western Conference, two spots off the play-in tournament but also with the possibility of getting a top pick in an intriguing draft class.