The New Orleans Pelicans made the playoffs this season without Zion Williamson and hope bigger things are on the horizon.
After taking the Suns to six games, the Pels have to feel they can hang with anyone when at full strength and that they might be a title contender once they are.
But the Pelicans could use some insurance for Zion getting hurt again, and could also use another veteran defender who can guard multiple spots and allow them to go small.
Without cap space to burn, the Pelicans’ only real way to acquire talent this offseason is by trading their top-10 draft pick.
This would be an all-in move from a franchise that might be a year away from really contending for a title, but it also makes sense given that they already have several young players who contribute and this year’s pick is a long shot to even make the rotation.
If they could find a team desperate for a draft pick, they might even be able to unload some of their less desirable contracts in the process.
There is a team out there that fits this description.
New Orleans Pelicans: Trading for Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons
Full disclosure: I cover the Pistons as well, but I do think this is a trade that has some merit for both teams.
In this trade, the Pels get off a player who was not a great fit (Graham), as well as a veteran who was out of the rotation and is definitely not part of the long-term plans and give up their top-10 pick for forward Jerami Grant.
The Pistons eat those two contracts in exchange for the pick, which they would love to have as a rebuilding team looking to add more young talent around Cade Cunningham.
The Pistons are still a year or two away from being a year or two away and the Pelicans are a team that is ready to win now, so this trade makes some sense in regards to timeline, but is Jerami Grant the type of guy the Pelicans should pursue?
New Orleans Pelicans: Trading for Jerami Grant
Jerami Grant is not an All-Star, but he is a guy who scores 20 per game, is a long and versatile defender and shoots 35 percent from 3-point range on 5.4 attempts per game.
He would give the Pelicans another quality and versatile defender, as well as some insurance against future injuries to Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, as he could adequately back up either of them.
He’s on an expiring contact, so the Pelicans would’t be taking on any long-term commitments, and it would allow them to get out from the Graham and Temple contracts, which would save them future money since both of their contracts run an extra year (two in Graham’s case, though the final year of both deals is not fully guaranteed).
If the Pelicans wanted to extend Grant, they could probably work out a favorable deal and work it into their payroll, especially if they decided to move Jonas Valanciunas. He’s likely to cost less on an extension than Graham, Temple and the 1st-round pick combined and would undoubtedly be more valuable.
The real argument for trading for a guy like Grant is that he would give the Pelicans one of the deepest and most versatile rosters in the NBA, as they could bring him off the bench or even start him in lineups without a center, depending on the opponent.
This was an issue against the Suns, as Valanciunas was exposed at times defensively. The Pels could play small ball with anyone using a lineup like this:
- CJ McCollum
- Brandon Ingram
- Herb Jones
- Jerami Grant
- Zion Williamson
With Larry Nance Jr. also able to guard up or down, the Pelicans would have a long and versatile team that could matchup against just about anyone.
Zion is not likely to play a full season as he tries to come back from injury, so Grant would give them a guy they could plug into a number of spots, a do-it-all player who fits with what the Pelicans are building.
The entire team (except Jose Alvarado and CJ McCollum) would be long, athletic and switchable, giving Willie Green a lot of weapons and options.
It sounds good, but there are some big problems with a trade like this.
New Orleans Pelicans: Trading for Jerami Grant
There are three main reasons that trading for a guy like Jerami Grant is a bad idea.
- Salary
The New Orleans Pelicans are going to have a very expensive roster soon with Zion’s extension looming. They will also have to decide whether to extend CJ McCollum, who is not going to be cheap.
They need to keep a steady stream of young talent coming so that they can get production from some of their minimum-salary guys, which is what you have to do if you are going to have a top-heavy payroll with three max players.
Grant’s salary wound’t hurt them next season, but it might after that depending on his next deal, and if they let him walk they would have given up a top-10 pick for a one-year rental, which is not smart business unless you win a title.
- Skills
At this point in their respective careers, Jerami Grant is a better all-around player than Trey Murphy III, arguably Herb Jones (Herb is better on defense) and certainly Larry Nance Jr.
But he has some redundant skills with all of them, which could create a logjam at forward. Yes, he would give the Pels some insurance and depth, but they might be better off investing their resources elsewhere.
Grant would be nice, but he’d be a luxury for a team that’s going to be up against the cap very soon.
- Need
In my opinion, the Pels are a Zion away from being a contender next season, so if he stays healthy, they might be able to keep their draft pick, make the playoffs and compete without making a splashy move.
Using the draft pick to grab another veteran is certainly an option, and I wouldn’t rule it out, as the Pels are ready to win now and may go for it, but there is also a solid argument for patience, as they can wait and make a move like this at the deadline using a future pick.