Pelicans' trade deadline would go from bad to disaster if new report is true

Jake Fischer is one of the NBA's biggest insiders and just dropped a ton of reports about multiple teams heading into the trade deadline, including the Pelicans. Just when fans didn't think the Pelicans' trade deadline plan could get worse following reports that the team plans on keeping its core together past the deadline, Jake Fischer's latest report has added to the misery.

According to Fischer, the Pelicans' front office is letting opposing teams know they are willing to part with Yves Missi ahead of the deadline. Fischer also highlighted the Indiana Pacers as one of the teams keeping an eye on Missi.

Has Joe Dumars been watching the Pelicans games recently?

Now, if this were just a month or two ago, I wouldn't see any issue with the Pelicans parting with the second-year big as he was in and out of the team's rotation. But as of late, Missi has been playing the best basketball of his young career, and in the eyes of many fans, myself included, he has made a case to start in the team's next game.

Missi's numbers over the last 10 games may not jump off the page at 5.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in just 19.9 minutes of action, but he is playing high-level winning basketball.

In the team's win against Brooklyn on Wednesday, he contributed 12 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and a highlight block, but these weren't the most telling stats of his performance. As Missi led the team in plus-minus at plus-23, showing that when he is on the court, the team is just straight up better, especially from a rebounding and rim protection perspective.

He played so well against the Nets that during interim head coach James Borrego's post-game presser, he highlighted both Missi and fellow second-year big man Karlo Matković as the main reasons for the team winning the game.

Joe Dumars and his staff being open to parting ways with a 21-year-old center who is showing potential and is liked not only by the fans but also by the coaching staff just makes me question whether he is even paying attention to what the team he is running is doing. When you're 9-33 with no first-round pick in the upcoming draft, you should be holding onto your young talent, not trying to ship it off.

His stance on Missi becomes even more ridiculous when you pair it with reports that suggest he is content with keeping Zion Williamson. Z has been with the franchise for seven years and has never appeared in a playoff game. To me, that's one of the biggest points as to why he can’t be the face of the Pelicans.

For teams that struggle during the regular season, the deadline is typically a fun time for their fans as big players are sent to new teams in exchange for draft picks and young players to get excited about. But for Pelicans fans, it appears those fun young players will be leaving the Pelicans rather than joining them.