NBA trade season is upon us, but it's been all quiet so far on the western front — and the eastern front too. The last trade we had saw the Utah Jazz rolling the dice on a huge gamble, betting that the Phoenix Suns' 2031 unprotected first-round pick would be much more valuable than three of their selections that they've garnered through past trades. The Jazz sent Phoenix the least favorable of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and their own firsts in 2025, 2027, and 2029.
The last trade we saw that involved actual NBA players was the Suns' acquisition of former Charlotte Hornets big man Nick Richards and a second-round pick in exchange for Josh Okogie and three second-rounders. Thankfully, this isn't exactly unprecedented, as we only had one deal go down in the two weeks before the trade deadline last season too, when the Houston Rockets sent Victor Oladipo and three seconds to the Memphis Grizzlies to get Steven Adams.
The New Orleans Pelicans are expected to be major players at the deadline. They should be looking to trade a whole host of players, including All-Star-caliber talents like Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. The lack of rumors surrounding those players and the rest of the Pelicans could be a cause for concern. Rest assured, Bill Simmons, the "podfather" himself, has come through with a mock trade for the Pelicans to get the juices flowing.
Bill Simmons drew up mock trade between the New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs
Bill Simmons is a legendary sports commentator and an innovator of podcasts, sports documentaries, and the controversial fake trade. He recently had former lead NBA writer and reporter of The Ringer Kevin O'Connor on his Bill Simmons Podcast to discuss a smorgasbord of mock deals that he concocted.
With the major role that the New Orleans Pelicans are set to play at the deadline, they had to be involved. Simmons desperately wants the San Antonio Spurs to be active and accelerate their timeline around second-year superstar and former number-one pick Victor Wembanyama, who has asserted himself as a top-ten player in just his sophomore season. Wemby might be ready to lead a championship team now, but the Spurs currently present themselves as a tough first-round out at best, as they're just 20-23 halfway through the campaign, slotting in at the 12th seed in the Western Conference.
Simmons solved the talent void in San Antonio with his trade proposal:
In exchange for Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, the Pelicans would get back Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Harrison Barnes, and the Spurs' 2025 first-round pick.
Unfortunately, this deal falls into a trend that we've seen with mock trades involving the Pelicans, in which the architect is solely focused on getting New Orleans' talents to another team with little consideration for what the Pels would get in return.
Tre Jones is a decent player, but he's not exactly a burgeoning star. At 25 years old, he's already a senior to most of the Pelicans' prospects, including Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Jordan Hawkins, and, of course, rookie Yves Missi. Jones has the aptitude to be an above-average point-of-attack defender and offensive table-setter, but he's severely lacking as a scorer, especially as a deep-shooting threat.
Zach Collins is nice role player, capable of defending the rim in spurts, stretching the floor, and getting his own points. That said, he's already 27, has mostly fallen out of the Spurs' rotation, and isn't exactly a premier asset. He'd be a good fit alongside Zion in the frontcourt, but he wouldn't be unattainable through other means.
Harrison Barnes is a good veteran who the Pelicans could either slot into their rotation to help buoy their young guys next season or flip next season in another trade. The Spurs' 2025 first-round pick is a good get, but, with CJ and BI on the team, that selection would probably fall outside of the lottery.
One late first and a collection of uninspiring veterans isn't exactly the kind of deal that the Pelicans should be looking to score in exchange for two of their best trade assets in CJ and Ingram. It isn't exactly worth rounding up an angry mob over, but it's not anything to celebrate either.
Grade: C-