Would the New Orleans Pelicans do this trade for Deandre Ayton?
New Orleans Pelicans: Why the Pels should not try to trade for Deandre Ayton
Any additions the Pelicans make have to be made with Zion Williamson in mind, as he is the foundational piece of the franchise and the guy they are building around.
Ayton has all of the same problems that Derrick Favors and Steven Adams had, which is that he doesn’t stretch the floor enough to be a great fit with Zion. Ayton is clearly better than both of those guys, but in the end, does he really move the needle?
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We’ve yet to see if Valanciunas will create the space Zion needs or if he is a good fit, but trading for Ayton would be putting a lot of faith in a guy who has yet to show he has the complementary skills to fit with Zion.
Also, the Pelicans could just wait until the end of the season, and if the Suns really don’t want to offer Ayton the max, then the Pels could just swoop in and steal him away by making him a huge offer that Phoenix doesn’t want to match.
In other words, they might be able to get Ayton without giving anything up other than money, which is always the better choice.
His fit and the finances don’t make a lot of sense for the Pelicans, who would love to have a third star but need to invest in that person carefully and ensure they are the right one.