Grade the trade: Pelicans bring back sharpshooter in mock trade

Pelicans Receive: Buddy Hield

For all the reasons we love this for Indiana, we don’t love this for the Pelicans. Even if you grant them the idea that Hield is more valuable than Bogdanovic and Kennard, this package just seems like way too much.

You are basically giving up what the Grizzlies did for Kennard (draft capital), what the Pistons gave up for Bogdanovic (a solid starter), and one of your most promising young players in Daniels (more stuff).

A better deal would be if they could get Hield for a first-round pick and Jonas Valanciunas (to match the salaries). We’ve heard rumors all off-season about the Pelicans looking to shop Valanciunas. Their original goal in doing this was to land another center. But I’m sure they would be happy adding more shooting and having Nance/Zeller fill in for Valanciunas.

As for the Pacers, Valanciunas wouldn’t be very useful to their current team. But that’s the point here. You aren’t supposed to get three super useful pieces for a player like Hield. Based on past precedent, you really only get one. Hield’s shooting is incredibly valuable, but we don’t see the Pacers getting more than one of the three pieces suggested by Simone.

Back to the original trade, we won’t give it a straight-up F because Hield is still one of the best shooters on the planet. And adding him changes the Pelicans’ spacing situation overnight. But in the end, they shouldn’t have to give up that many assets to get him.

Grade: D