The New Orleans Pelicans are looking like they’re in a strong position to contend after acquiring former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray over the summer. They lost Jonas Valuncuinas in free agency, leaving a glaring hole at center on the squad. They are a legitimate Playoff threat in the West but, they don’t look like championship material with their feeble center rotation in a conference of giants.
The Orlando Magic are hoping to take a step forward this season after finishing as the fifth seed in the East last season. They’ve added veterans such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to help them be a better shooting team, running one of the league’s worst offenses. The team could look to add some veteran on-ball offensive creation to complement their defensive core, with the Pelicans offering the perfect solution.
Trade Details
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Wendell Carter Jr., Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan
Orlando Magic Receive: C.J. McCollum, Karlo Matkovic, 2027 First-Round Pick (MIL)
The Magic receive an aging veteran scorer in McCollum to be a strong leader for a young squad and be a major offensive contributor to the franchise. The Pelicans land an ideal fit at center with the sweet-shooting Wendell Carter Jr., along with additions to their guard depth with Anthony and a young prospect in Houstan.
Pelicans Complete Their Championship Core With A Loaded Roster
This deal will carry risk for the Pelicans as McCollum has emerged as a crucial offensive piece for the team since they acquired him from the Trail Blazers. But they have enough capable guards on their roster after acquiring Dejounte Murray. They need a center to be competitive in the West and Carter Jr. would be a solid fit on their roster. He averaged 11.0 points and 6.9 rebounds last season.
Carter Jr. is a versatile center who could complement Zion Williamson on offense as a stretch threat, though his rim protection can be inconsistent. This deal is bolstered by the inclusion of Cole Anthony, who would fill a rotational guard role for the Pelicans as a bench scorer, averaging 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists last season.
The Pelicans would likely start Murray with Herbert Jones in the backcourt. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson will be the forward duo with Carter Jr. at the center. This would be a formidable starting five, along with a deep rotation of productive young players with room to grow. This increases the Pelicans window of contention while giving them the salary flexibility to retain Ingram, who’s a free agent next season.
The Magic Make Their Young Core Competitive
The Magic have proven that they can rely on defense to be their calling card in the Eastern Conference, but they need to take a step forward to compete in an East where the top teams have loaded up on more talent to challenge the Celtics. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a great addition, but the Magic need more offensive weapons on their roster to make up for Jalen Suggs’ developing offensive game and Franz Wagner’s inconsistency from three.
CJ McCollum seems like the perfect answer, adding a crucial guard element to the Magic. He likely won’t be a starter ahead of Suggs and Caldwell-Pope but he’d be a supercharged sixth man who likely will end up closing games due to his offensive prowess. He averaged 20.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists for the Pels last season on 42.9% from three. He’s a complete scoring package with great playmaking skills, and the Magic would be getting him for a bargain.
His contract is expensive but lasts for two more seasons, expiring by the time they need to worry about Paolo Banchero’s eventual supermax contract. In the meantime, McCollum can help the Magic be a solidified Playoff contender in the East while teams like the 76ers and Knicks have gone all-in to win over the next few seasons as well. This guarantees competitiveness but with plenty of long-term flexibility.
A Risky Deal With Massive Upside
In theory, the Pelicans could withstand the loss of McCollum’s offense with an improved year from Ingram, better production on the bench, and the addition of Murray. The addition of Carter Jr. is a massive boost given their paper-thin center rotation with Daniel Theis and rookie Yves Missi. This deal makes the Pelicans much stronger right now without deep future implications.
The Magic add a certified bucket to their roster with McCollum, as the team often struggled to produce offense in clutch-time situations last season. They don’t have the offensive panache for a team hoping to make a Playoff run, with McCollum providing just that. He’s a proven leader as well, so McCollum would also be a great veteran to have around a very bright and young core on the Magic.
Both teams take tangible steps toward what they need, but basketball is not played on paper, it’s played on hardwood. These deals carry a risk for both franchises as things rarely go perfectly to plan in basketball. But these deals seem to minimize risk on both sides, making it a possible solution to major needs on both rosters.
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