Why This Trade Makes Sense For The New Orleans Pelicans

Last season was Lonzo Ball’s first season in New Orleans, as he was sent to the Pelicans in the deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Lakers, and while he did perform well during the regular season, there were a lot of concerns within the Pelicans organization about his lack of effort down the stretch.

With Eric Bledsoe and rookie Kira Lewis Jr. also on the roster for New Orleans this year, they could end up trading Lonzo Ball as he is in the final year of his contract and has a high value on the open market. Acquiring a player like Patrick Beverley could go a long way in their efforts to make a playoff push this season.

As things stand right now, New Orleans ranks 11th overall in least amount of points allowed to opponents per game and is one of the better overall defensive teams in the entire league. The addition of Beverley will only make them better on this end of the court and could be a key player in their rotations. With Jrue Holiday gone, there is plenty of room in the backcourt for a veteran leader like Beverley and he would have an immediate impact on this New Orleans Pelicans team.

The second-round pick the Pelicans would get in this trade does not really matter, as this trade would basically be a swap of Lonzo Ball for Patrick Beverley. The Pelicans could potentially want more for a young talent like Ball, but they do make out pretty well in this trade, as Beverley is a better defender than Lonzo and has playoff experience. 

Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are the two leaders of the Pelicans, but they can only take this team so far. Other guys on the roster will have to step up in big moments in order for this team to reach the playoffs, which is why adding another key role player like Patrick Beverley could make a lot of sense for this organization moving forward.