Pelicans trade deadline: Could Lonzo Ball be swapped for Sabonis?

New Orleans Pelicans: Is Domantas Sabonis a fit?

The only way the Pelicans would even consider this is if they don’t think Lonzo Ball wants to stay or will be part of the future core moving forward.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said repeatedly in his trade deadline special that the Pelicans and Ball have agreed that both sides might be best off if they parted ways.

Again, this is all speculation, but if the Pels don’t see Lonzo as part of the future, then trading him for a guy who could be makes a lot of sense.

From a basketball perspective it makes a little less sense, as Sabonis is a another guy who mostly lives in the lane, is not a great rim protector and doesn’t shoot the 3-pointer well, which are qualities that might make him a tough fit with Zion Williamson on both ends.

But the Pels might see Zion as a huge point guard, so could run with a giant team that features Sabonis at power forward, Steven Adams at center and Ingram at small forward.

Regardless of who they put at shooting guard, the Pels would be a huge and versatile team on offense that would be tough to stop. On defense? That is a totally different story, as the mismatches they’d create on one end would bite them on the other.

But financially it makes sense, as Sabonis is making less than Lonzo Ball will probably get, is already locked up and will be expired before Zion Williamson is due for a raise.

If the Pelicans were then to trade Bledsoe in the offseason, they could fill out their bench with the savings and have one of the most unique teams in the NBA.

It’s also possible that Sabonis will increase his shooting range in the future and become more of a stretch-four, in which case the fit is better.

This one is probably a long shot but it makes sense for all the teams involved.