The New Orleans Pelicans are the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and there is no doubt that they are a fantastic young team that could be on the cusp of being a contender. With Zion Williamson leading the charge, they have managed to make their way to an 18-8 record.
Though the New Orleans Pelicans are in a good position right now, every competitive team looks for ways to improve constantly. We have seen top-seeded teams trade players despite them playing well to try and find that missing piece to winning a championship. Some mid-season trades can be the difference between a team being an early exit and a true contender.
Perhaps we will see the New Orleans Pelicans make a trade in the future, to try and shore up their roster and get another impactful player next to Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. It is clear that the team already has the core to win a championship, and they could get to being a legitimate threat to the title with another move. Here are 3 players the New Orleans Pelicans could potentially trade this season to further improve as a team.
3. Devonte’ Graham
Devonte’ Graham has been a solid shooter for the New Orleans Pelicans this season, shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc. There is no doubt that he’s been a However, despite his solid shooting season, the New Orleans Pelicans could elect to move him for a variety of reasons.
Historically, a team’s defense has been extremely important in terms of winning a championship. The New Orleans Pelicans already have a number of small guards on the roster who struggle to guard multiple positions: trading one of them for a wing player seems like the obvious move. On top of his status as a small guard, Devonte’ Graham’s contract is very tradeable. He is making $11,550,000 this year, and his contract can be stacked with others to get a player on a larger contract in a consolidation trade.
The New Orleans Pelicans notably explored trades for Devonte Graham during the summer, and it seems likely that they will move him at some point. It remains to be seen what sort of player they will target in a trade involving Graham, but he is definitely a player that could be included in a big Pelicans trade in the future.
2. Jaxson Hayes
Jaxson Hayes has not gotten many minutes for the New Orleans Pelicans this year, but he showed legitimate potential last season with the team. He is an insane athlete and has shown signs of being a solid switch big on the defensive end. Last season, Hayes averaged 9.3 PPG and 4.5 RPG while shooting 61.6% from the field.
Though as of right now Jaxson Hayes is a project player, there is definitely a chance that he could develop into a solid big man in today’s game. However, he likely won’t be able to do so on the New Orleans Pelicans, due to them being a competitive team that doesn’t have the time to develop such a raw player. Other teams may see his potential though, and thus try to get him in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. Jaxson Hayes also happens to be on a very tradeable contract as well, as he is currently earning $6,803,012.
It remains to be seen which teams would trade for Jaxson Hayes. They would likely have to be young, developing teams that can let players play through their mistakes. Hopefully, we see the New Orleans Pelicans move him in the future, as he needs to go to a team where he can get consistent minutes while the team needs win-now players. The team’s current conditions clearly show that Jaxson Hayes no longer has a role on this team, and thus must be moved elsewhere.
1. Jonas Valanciunas
Jonas Valanciunas is obviously one of the more underrated players in the league. He is an immensely gifted post-up player, being able to bully most opponents with his combination of size and strength. He is currently averaging 13.2 PPG and 9.2 RPG while shooting 36.6% from beyond the arc. However, there are some key reasons the New Orleans Pelicans could trade him.
As a center, Jonas Valanciunas is a fantastic offensive player, but he does not offer a ton of rim protection. Obviously, the New Orleans Pelicans are a top 5 defense right now, and it is clear that this issue has not affected him thus far in the regular season. However, the playoffs are a different game, and we have seen teams expose his defense in the past. Though his defense isn’t elite, other teams may find some appeal in Jonas Valanciunas due to his offensive prowess.
Jonas Valanciunas makes around $14,700,000 this year, and he is definitely one of the best contracts in the league. When you combine his contract with his offensive value on the court, one could see how he would be a valuable trade chip for the New Orleans Pelicans. If the team were to send out the contracts of Jonas Valanciunas, Devonte’ Graham, and Jaxson Hayes in a trade, that would be a total of $33,053,012 in salary, which is close to a max-level contract. The New Orleans Pelicans also have the picks to facilitate such a big move for a star-level player. It is clear that the team could potentially make another elite addition and create a superteam.
It remains to be seen if Jonas Valanciunas does get traded by the New Orleans Pelicans, as he does still have a good amount of value on the court. However, he could also be valuable to the team as a trade chip, and we’ll see how the franchise decides to handle his situation going forward.
Player salary numbers via: Spotrac.com
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