The New Orleans Pelicans are starting to find their stride during this four-game win streak, presenting the question of what the team's direction should be as they approach trade season. With the Pelicans healthy and only 5.5 games out of a play-in spot, could we see the front office give this group a chance to make a push in the New Year, or does it still make the most sense to remain sellers?
When Joe Dumars evaluates this roster and decides each player's future, one of the most difficult decisions he'll have to make is about Saddiq Bey.
When the Pelicans acquired Bey as part of a roster shake-up trade that saw the Pelicans and Wizards swap CJ McCollum for Jordan Poole, Bey was viewed as a throw-in. With him spending the entire 2024-25 season on the sidelines recovering from an ACL tear, it was unclear how he would be able to bounce back this season.
That doubt was quickly erased, as Bey has been excellent this season and has been one of the few consistent bright spots for this team. Through the first 28 games of the season, Bey has averaged 14.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on a career-high shooting from the field at 45.4 percent. Whether it's been during the team's current win streak or earlier this season when the team was struggling, he's always given a winning effort.
Pairing his production with his relatively cheap price point at just over $6.4 million for the next two seasons, contenders will likely have a ton of interest in Bey come the trade deadline.
The dilemma of trading or keeping Bey isn't a bad one
In my eyes, the Pelicans should use the same approach when it comes to trading Saddiq Bey as they should with the rest of this team. The only players that should really be untouchable are Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, and, most likely, Trey Murphy III. That doesn't mean the front office should be actively looking to trade away players, but they should be listening to offers. If they can net a first-round pick for Bey, I don't see why you wouldn't take it.
Even though the Pelicans don't own their own first-round pick at the end of this season, that shouldn't stop them from being in asset accumulation mode. Don't get me wrong, I've been a big fan of what Bey has done for this team this season, but the focus shouldn't be on the present—it should be on the future.
With the expectation that Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, and Jose Alvarado are all already generating trade interest, the potential of Bey doing the same becomes even more intriguing. The Pelicans' front office will face a ton of questions as the trade deadline approaches, and the answers will only become clearer over the next stretch of games. If this group can keep the win streak alive, they may give it a chance—if not, a roster shakeup could be coming.