Following yet another year competing in the stacked Western Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans find themselves with plenty of questions on the horizon. They have a solid roster of talent, but there is no guarantee they will be able to achieve all their goals with the group they currently have.
Zion Williamson has of course shown himself to be an incredibly talented offensive force, and building around him has allowed the Pelicans to be in the playoffs or right on the fringe of the playoffs for the last several years. But the question of Zion's health remains pressing, as he was once again sidelined while New Orleans bowed out to Oklahoma City in the postseason.
If the Pels are to reach a new level and become a true top-level contender in the West, they may do well to swing for the fences and not be afraid to pull the trigger on a few trades this coming offseason. If they do go this route, there are a few players on the roster that are more likely to be traded than the rest.
1. Dyson Daniels
One player that New Orleans has been reported to have interest in trading is Dyson Daniels. After finishing his second professional season, Dyson showed that he has potential as a defensive-minded player. However, the main problem is that most of his value remains in his potential.
As of right now, Daniels is a talented stopper that can play in a variety of lineups picking up guards and wings and shutting them down. But when the ball moves to the other end of the floor, he becomes a liability as his offense is still far from developed.
He is clearly a long-term project, and one that New Orleans may not have the luxury of being able to take their time with. If they are looking to win here and now, they could ship him out to a rebuilding team and try to get a better win-now piece in return.