New Orleans Pelicans: A veteran free-agent shooter to target

The New Orleans Pelicans will head into the offseason with a couple of glaring holes that they need to fix.

One of them is shooting, as the Pelicans dipped to 25th in 3-point percentage last season after finishing in the top-10 the year before.

Part of it was that J.J. Redick forgot how to shoot a basketball, but the Pelicans lacked shooters up and down the roster, so it can’t be put on just one guy.

The Pelicans could also use some veteran leadership to go along with their young talent as Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram aren’t the most vocal guys and don’t have a lot of experience anyway.

One guy they might pursue who could fit both of these needs is veteran guard/forward Danny Green.

New Orleans Pelicans: Free agent Danny Green could fill some needs

Danny Green is 34-years-old and has played for a bunch of teams already, including most recently with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he averaged 9.5 points and 3.8 rebounds as a starter for Philly.

Wherever Green has been, he’s done one thing very well, which is shoot the 3-point shot, as he is over 40 percent for his career including this season, when he hit 40.5 percent on 6.3 attempts per game.

Green is also a winner, as he has won championships with three different teams, the Spurs, Raptors and Lakers, playing with some all-time greats along the way and for some of the best coaches in the NBA.

Green is not only a good shooter but is still a plus defender on the perimeter, another thing the Pelicans can definitely use.

The big question is what it might take to get him, as there will undoubtedly be other teams interested in the services of this valuable veteran, who made $15 million in the final year of his contract.

I doubt he’ll get that much again, so looks like someone who might be had with part or all of the mid-level exception.

He’s a guy who could help change the culture in New Orleans and can provide some of the shooting and defense they need as well, so I hope the Pels at least kick the tires on what it would take to bring Danny Green to the Big Easy.