If Trail Blazers blow it up, the Pelicans should be calling

The New Orleans Pelicans are now just a half game behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

I’ve been saying all season that the Pels could make the play-in even without Zion, and lately they’ve been trending up as the teams around them fall apart.

The Trail Blazers are one of those teams, as they have won just three of their last 10 games, are missing Damian Lillard indefinitely and may be considering how to reshape their roster.

With new management in place, Portland may finally decide to blow it up and start over, though there is pressure to keep Lillard in Portland for the long term.

I can’t imagine the Trail Blazers would go for a full rebuild with Lillard still on the roster, but with each loss the chances they trade him get even higher.

While I don’t think the Pelicans should be players for Lillard, the Trail Blazers have another player I’d love to see them pursue if Portland shakes things up.

Norman Powell would be a nice fit on the Pelicans

The Pels have been playing well, and there is a slight chance they will get Zion Williamson back, so they don’t have to make a move, though reports have claimed they will be buyers at the deadline.

If they are, Norman Powell is a guy I love for them. I wrote about Powell in the past and still like him as a third scorer who shoots consistently and can defend multiple spots.

Powell could slide right into the starting five (though I’d hate to see them mess with their current mojo) or even come off the bench as the primary scorer, the job that Nickeil Alexander-Walker has not been doing consistently this season.

Powell is already locked up to a reasonable contract that fits into the Pels’ budget and has proven himself to be a consistent 18 points per game scorer who shoots 40 percent from long range.

He would improve the Pelicans depth and take some of the pressure off Brandon Ingram to always carry the team offensively, as Powell will occasionally explode for a big game.

The question is what it would take to pry him away from Portland. The answer depends on what they are doing with Lillard, as moving him means they are tearing it down and would be looking for young players and talent.

Would some combination of Jaxson Hayes, NAW, Satoransky’s expiring contract and a first-round pick get it done? I am not sure, but if I were David Griffin I’d be on the phone trying to find out.

The New Orleans Pelicans don’t need to make a blockbuster move, but if they could add a guy the caliber of Powell, it would increase their chances of making the play-in this season and give them another long-term piece to go with Zion, BI, Herb and Jonas.