The New Orleans Pelicans need more talent around Zion Williamson and the perfect player seems to be available for trade.
Jason Dumas first reported that the Pacers offered up Malcolm Brogdon and a first-round pick in a failed attempt to get Ben Simmons:
The Sixers have already fielded offers for Ben Simmons but continue to hold a stance that they will only trade him for an all-star caliber player. They most recently turned down a deal with the Pacers that included Malcolm Brogdon and a 1st round pick.
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) July 2, 2021
I can’t blame the 76ers for turning this one down, as Simmons’ is already one of the best defenders in the league, is still under 25 years old and his potential is just too much to give up for this particular package.
But the interesting part to me is that the Pacers were willing to move Malcolm Brogdon, who I think would be a perfect fit with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans.
But could the Pelicans pry him away in a trade?
New Orleans Pelicans: A trade to get Malcom Brogdon
In this trade, the Pacers move on from Brogdon but get a veteran guard in return who can still come off the bench and provide value. They also get the 10th pick in the draft to add to the 13th pick they already have, so they could either add two lottery picks or move them both in a bigger trade.
The Pelicans get a guy who would be a perfect fit for their roster, especially if they re-sign Lonzo Ball, as it would give them a big and versatile backcourt that fits much better with Zion as Brogdon can shoot the 3-pointer and defend multiple positions.
The Pelicans wouldn’t have to do much else after that, they could re-sign Josh Hart and roll with a starting five of Brogdon, Lonzo, Ingram, Zion and Adams and still have Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Josh Hart, Kira Lewis Jr., Naji Marshall and Jaxson Hayes coming off the bench.
The sticking point would be that the Pacers aren’t interested in rebuilding and so they’d almost have to have another trade lined up using those two first-round picks as bait, but that shouldn’t be hard considering the number of rebuilding team that are looking for picks in a loaded draft.
This one makes a lot of sense for both teams and it is a move the Pelicans could make without taking on any additional money, as Brogdon’s contract runs the same length as Bledsoe’s, though his final year is fully guaranteed and Bledsoe’s isn’t, which is another bonus for the Pacers.
The New Orleans Pelicans need to shake things up and if Brogdon is truly available, David Griffin should pick up the phone.