The New Orleans Pelicans are going to be busy over the next few days, as they have some holes to fill and a sudden injection of cap space to use on NBA free agents.
The Pelicans could spread that space around, use some on retaining Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, who are both restricted free agents after the Pels extended the qualifying offers, and try to build more depth for their roster.
But they could also throw most or all of it at one guy and Kyle Lowry is a name that has been mentioned for the Pelicans.
The Pelicans can’t afford to put all of their hope in one guy, especially after it was reported that the Miami Heat are the most likely to land him.
Lowry's long been intrigued with joining Heat star Jimmy Butler and the Miami organization, and now Miami's maneuvered to have two key elements of a possible sign-and-trade package – Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa -- to offer Raptors once talks can ensue at 6 PM, per sources. https://t.co/MrpMhhB7aJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 2, 2021
So which NBA free agents should the New Orleans Pelicans pursue if they strike out on Kyle Lowry? There are some intriguing options.
New Orleans Pelicans possible NBA Free Agents: Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk is certainly not a splashy name and there would be some Pelicans fans that wouldn’t like this move, but he does make some sense for the Pels.
He is a stretch-four who can shoot, something the Pelicans could use around Zion Williamson and Olynyk won’t likely break the bank, which means they could possibly get him and still retain Lonzo Ball.
I still have no clue what the Pelicans plans are for Lonzo, but if they keep him, Olynyk would be a decent addition as a stretch-four who averaged 13.5 points and 7 rebounds last season. He was even better in Houston, averaging 19 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 39.2 percent from long range.
New Orleans Pelicans possible NBA Free Agents: Nerlens Noel
I’ve been writing about Nerlens Noel as a possible fit for the New Orleans Pelicans for a while now, so it seems like deja vu writing this again.
The New York Knicks gave the Pelicans a blueprint for success when they were able to make the leap into the top of the Eastern Conference after improving their defense.
Nerlens Noel was a big part of that improvement, as he had one of his best seasons as a pro, playing more minutes than he ever had and blocking 2.2 shots per game while providing tough interior defense.
Noel has some offensive limitations but he can catch lobs and run the floor, which is all the Pelicans would ask him to do.
Otherwise he’d add a rim protector to a team that doesn’t really have one, and a guy who will do all of the dirty work on the interior.
He’d also be fairly low-cost, so the Pelicans could sign him and still pursue other guys, so Noel is one of the NBA free agents I expect the Pelicans to take a look at if the price is right.
New Orleans Pelicans possible NBA Free Agents: Norman Powell
If the Pelicans are looking for a third piece and don’t end up re-signing Lonzo Ball, then Norman Powell would be a great alternative.
Powell averaged 18.6 points per game for the Raptors and Trail Blazers last year and shot 41.1 percent from long range while doing it.
He had some monster games, scoring 43 early in the season for the Raptors and showing that he can occasionally win a game for you if your other stars are having an off night.
Powell is a good defender and would give the Pelicans some stability at shooting guard, which has been a position of weakness over the last few years.
The big question with Powell is cost, as he could be one of the more coveted free agents and may want upwards of $20 million per season.
Would the Pelicans be willing to go that high? If so, Lonzo Ball is out of the question, but the Pels could probably still keep Josh Hart.
It would be an intriguing team with Norman Powell in the starting five but there are a lot of moving pieces, so we’ll have to wait and see.