5 potential free agents for the New Orleans Pelicans to monitor

The New Orleans Pelicans will be keeping an eye on the players who did not sign rookie extensions with their current teams.

The deadline has passed for teams to ink these extensions, so these players will either be restricted or unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.

Some of them are potentially interesting fits with the New Orleans Pelicans, though may end up out of their price range depending on what happens this season.

Here are five guys who could be on new teams next season or even traded before the deadline in this one.

New Orleans Pelicans: Potential NBA free agents to monitor

Deandre Ayton-Phoenix Suns

The biggest name on the board is Deandre Ayton, center for the Phoenix Suns. I wrote in more detail about Ayton here, and he will be a guy to watch. If the Pels saw him as a good fit with Zion Williamson they could try to trade Jonas Valanciunas for him, or they could just wait and try to steal him away in free agency, which might be difficult depending on how the cap shakes out.

Marvin Bagley- Sacramento Kings

Bagley is a guy who has high-ceiling potential as a big who can rebound and stretch the floor. He has yet to play a full season, which is concerning, but he would potentially be a nice fit alongside Zion as a stretch-four. He might also end up being cheaper than some of these other players depending on how this season goes. He is unlikely to finish the season with the Kings, so he’ll be a name to watch before the deadline.

Collin Sexton- Cleveland Cavaliers

Sexton is a high-scoring but undersized guard who is another guy who might not finish the season with his current team. The Pels already have a glut of guards, so I don’t see him being a good fit as a shoot-first guy. He’d be great off someone’s bench as an “instant offense” guy, but he might want a bigger role.

Miles Bridges- Charlotte Hornets

Bridges fits the profile of the types of players the Pelicans should put around Zion Williamson, as he is a forward who can defend and shoot the 3-point shot. He hit 40 percent of his long-range shots last season and is a guy who might be in line for a huge raise next offseason. I was surprised the Hornets didn’t offer him an extension, as he might have another level, but with so much money tied up in the inexplicable Terry Rozier extension, the Hornets are happy to wait and see how this plays out.

Donte DiVincenzo- Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are going to be strapped for cap space and DiVincenzo may be casualty of that even though he is a good fit. He’s another guy whose shooting would fit well with Zion, but he is also a decent defender and rebounds his position well, so he is more than just a shooter.

All of these players will be on the New Orleans Pelicans’ radar this season and could be trade or free-agent targets the future.