The New Orleans Pelicans are in between being buyers and sellers at the NBA trade deadline.
They are still very much in the mix for the play-in tournament but lack the talent without Zion Williamson to make a real run in the playoffs.
The right deadline addition(s) could help their cause, but the Pelicans don’t want to do too much to disrupt the culture they are building in New Orleans, as Willie Green has something special brewing and the Pels don’t need to make a trade just to do something.
Yesterday I wrote about five players they should avoid, with most of the list including high-priced and inefficient guards who are not a great long-term fit with Zion and Brandon Ingram.
Today, we’ll take a look at some guys that would be better fits with what they have, give the Pelicans a boost and not cost them their entire stack of assets.
5 trade targets for the New Orleans Pelicans
Bench help: Stretch Bigs
Mike Muscala and Kelly Olynyk
Neither of these guys would be the final piece to a championship by any means, but they would help the Pelicans woeful bench, wouldn’t cost a ton and are guys that would fit with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
Muscala is shooting just under 44 percent from long range this season, runs the pick-and-roll well and would give the Pels a weapon off the bench.
He’s on a lowball contract that runs through next season and would add some solid veteran depth without breaking the bank, as the Pels could probably have him for a second-round draft pick.
Olynyk is signed for two seasons past this one, though the final one is only partially guaranteed.
He too provides a big man who can shoot, run the pick-and-roll well and would be a great fit with Zion as a stretch five.
Olynyk would cost more in terms of a trade, but he is a solid defender, plays with heart and would fit right into this Pelicans group.
5 trade targets for the New Orleans Pelicans
Scoring
Norman Powell
I’ve written about Powell as a possibility in the past though there are some complications with trading with the Trail Blazers, who are the team the Pels are currently chasing for the final play-in.
Unlike the Pelicans, Portland wouldn’t be satisfied with that position, as they are trying to win now with an aging group build around Damian Lillard, who is currently hurt.
The Blazers have played better of late behind a surging Anfernee Simons, but if they decide to blow it up, trading Powell makes sense and the Pelicans should be in the running.
Powell offers consistent veteran scoring, which is something the Pelicans desperately need, especially off the bench, which has been wildly inconsistent this season and doesn’t really have anyone who can win you a game.
Powell is one of those guys, as he is averaging 18 a game on efficient shooting including 40 percent from long range, something the Pels could certainly use.
He’s on a decent contract and is the kind of guy who can slide into just about any lineup and make an impact with his shooting.
He’s not the greatest defender but he’s not terrible, and he would provide a huge upgrade to the Pelicans’ bench.
5 trade targets for the New Orleans Pelicans
Two-Way Forwards
Jerami Grant and Harrison Barnes
Both Grant and Barnes fall into the “very good/not great” category but would provide NOLA with versatile defense, additional scoring options and guys who can hit a spot-up 3-point shot.
Herb Jones’ versatility gives the Pelicans a lot of options when it comes to lineups, so I could see Barnes or Grant sliding into the starting five at the power forward and pushing someone else to the bench, which would be great for the Pels’ depth.
Both of these guys can defend multiple positions and are solid team players on team-friendly contracts that only extend through next season.
The problem is that both will be hot commodities at the trade deadline and would probably cost the Pelicans more than the other players on this list.
There’s also the issue of their contracts, as both guys will be looking for extensions next season and may not be the types of players the Pelicans want to make part of their core.
But they are also guys who the Pelicans could flip before next trade deadline and recoup some of the lost assets, so the cost is really negligible and New Orleans could actually emerge with better players or more draft assets anyway.
As I said, it is unknown if the Pelicans view themselves as buyers or sellers at the deadline and they could be happy just staying as is until Zion gets back and they can see what this team looks like at full strength.