The New Orleans Pelicans are in purgatory right now, only two games back of the final play-in spot, but not real playoff contenders without Zion Williamson.
There has been speculation that the Pelicans will be buyers at the trade deadline, and if they wanted to add talent, they certainly have the right combination of expiring contracts, young talent and draft assets to do it.
But with a 17-28 record, their time is running out to make a real run at the playoffs, so making a trade just to make one is probably not a smart move and there are definitely some guys they should avoid.
I don’t think David Griffin and the New Orleans Pelicans will be involved in any blockbusters, but you never know, as Griffin runs a pretty tight ship when it comes to leaking rumors and the Pels are good at not tipping their hand.
There are some guys I would definitely avoid, ranging from the obvious to a couple that have been mentioned as possibilities for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Let’s take look at five of them, starting with the obvious.
Trade targets the New Orleans Pelicans should avoid
The Obvious
Russell Westbrook and John Wall
Let’s start with the obvious choices, Westbrook and Wall, who are two of the most polarizing players in the league and represent the NBA’s two worst contracts.
The Lakers would love nothing more than to undo the trade they made to get Westbrook, as he has regressed, his bad habits (turnovers and bad shots) have gotten worse and they are on the hook for his $47 million option next season as well.
Same with Wall, who hasn’t even played this season for whatever reason, and is also due a hefty $47 million in next one, a precautionary tale for any team looking to sign an aging and mercurial point guard to a super max deal.
These two are not only on the worst contracts in the NBA, but have been culture killers pretty much everywhere they’ve been. It’s crazy how much teams have traded to get these two guys over the years and the Lakers in particular have to be wondering what their team and record might look like right now if they had never made that trade. (pardon me for a second while I laugh heartily at LA: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!)
Trade targets the New Orleans Pelicans should avoid
Two Rumored Players
De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield
Both Fox and Hield have been connected to the New Orleans Pelicans in trade rumors and I can see why, as both have attributes the Pelicans could use.
Fox is a 24-year-old guard who scores over 20 a game and has flashed superstar potential at times. Adding him to Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson is intriguing I admit, but are we sure he’s the type of guy who would thrive with the Pels two young stars?
Fox is inefficient offensively, shooting just 45 percent from the field and a woeful 24 percent from 3-point range. Yes, he scores 21 points per game but it takes him 17 shots to get them, which is not the kind of scorer the Pelicans need.
The Pels need efficiency and defense out of their role players, which they have been getting from Herb Jones and Josh Hart, they don’t need guys who are inefficient scorers who don’t defend much.
Not to mention the fact that Fox’s contract extends for four seasons past this one and ramps up to $37 million, which would be a big risk for a questionable fit.
On paper, Hield is a better fit as a career 40 percent 3-point shooter on a reasonable contract that extends only two years past this one and actually gets cheaper.
But, as good as Hield’s career 3-point numbers are, he is still a guy who gets his points inefficiently, scoring 15 points on 13 shots per game. He also takes some really REALLY bad shots at times and doesn’t seem to have the team-first attitude that Willie Green is cultivating in New Orleans.
If I had to choose one I’d take Hield, as he is a better fit and costs less, but I would pass on both if I were the New Orleans Pelicans.
Trade targets the New Orleans Pelicans should avoid
The Blockbuster
Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons has been on the trade block all season after refusing to play for the 76ers after Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid were mean to him after his playoff collapse.
The 76ers have made it known that they won’t trade Simmons for anything less than a king’s ransom, and so far they’ve had no offers that move the needle, though they have reportedly gotten a few.
The Pelicans are often listed as a potential destination for Simmons, and on paper, I would love to have him with Zion and B.I., as the three would represent the most talented under-25 trio in the NBA and would raise the ceiling of what the Pelicans could be.
The problem is that the 76ers would almost certainly want Ingram in any deal for Simmons, which should be a non-starter for several reasons.
The first is that Brandon Ingram might be better than Simmons already. He is certainly (and by a wide margin) the better offensive player, though Simmons’ playmaking and defense cannot be denied.
Simmons is also a questionable fit with Zion, as he isn’t happy playing second fiddle to Embiid, so why would he be doing so with Zion?
I also think Simmons’ refusal to play this season is a huge red flag, especially when you consider his massive contract. The guy is literally giving away over $30 million dollars because he got his feelings hurt and thinks he’s under appreciated.
I love Ben Simmons’ talent but that is not a guy I want to build around, sorry.
The New Orleans Pelicans will probably make some kind of move before the deadline but it shouldn’t be for any of these guys. Come back tomorrow, when we’ll have a list of players they should target.