December 15 has been marked as an important date for the New Orleans Pelicans. This day marks the point when every player who signed as a free agent in the offseason becomes eligible to be traded. This season, 85 additional players will be able to be moved after December 15.
Because of the massive influx of players, this date is really the unofficial start of trade season in the NBA. There certainly can be deals made before then, but why wouldn't teams want to wait for the full menu to become available before making any decisions?
For the Pelicans, this date was noted as important because it should be the day that the Brandon Ingram sweepstakes really start to heat up. Between then and the trade deadline, teams will be evaluating their own needs as well as Ingram's performance — if he can even suit up again before February 6 — to see if he'll be a good fit for their needs. Furthermore, the Pelicans will have a couple of their own players enter the eligibility pool on December 15 as well.
2 Pelicans will become eligible to be traded on December 15
1. Daniel Theis
Daniel Theis was a surprise signing for the New Orleans Pelicans this past summer. Over a week after the official start of free agency, the team announced that they were signing the German veteran to shore up their big man depth. New Orleans had just lost long-time center Jonas Valanciunas a few days earlier and they desperately needed another anchor to give incoming rookie Yves Missi some support and guidance.
Unfortunately, Theis hasn't panned out with the Pelicans. He's been one of the few available players for New Orleans throughout the season, but he hasn't been very effective when he's played. Through 17 games, he's averaging just 3.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in a little over 14 minutes per night. He's shooting under 43 percent from the field as a big, including 22 percent from beyond the arc. Clearly, the Pels shouldn't expect to get back much for Theis if they were to trade him, but he'll be eligible to be moved after December 15 if they do find a buyer.
2. Javonte Green
Javonte Green was one of the latest signings of the offseason, as he joined the Pelicans in late August, just weeks before the start of training camp. In the two years prior, Green battled through injury and was nearly out of the league, but he found a new opportunity with New Orleans this past summer.
So far, he's been a bit overtasked with the Pelicans due to all of their injuries. While his box score numbers aren't impressive, he's been a solid option for them, providing energy and toughness when in the game. He's proven with New Orleans that he's still an NBA-level defender. If his shot can come around, he could attract some contending hopefuls looking to add a bit more defense and versatility to their bench come December 15.