Does this trade make sense for the New Orleans Pelicans?
With Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the New Orleans Pelicans have one of the best “one-two punches” in the league, but they are missing that third, consistent, high-level scorer they can depend on. At times, Lonzo Ball has stepped up into this role, as has Eric Bledsoe and Nickeil Alexander-Walker at times, but ultimately, none of these three guys can be the kind of player that Malcolm Brogdon is.
When he gets going, Brogdon is one of those guys you just cannot stop and whether it is on or off-the-ball, he has the capability to impact the game in many ways. Not to mention, he is a terrific one-on-one defender and could help the Pelicans on both ends of the court.
Giving up Alexander-Walker and a future first-round pick is a ton of value for New Orleans to invest in Brogdon, but ultimately, pairing him with Lonzo Ball in the backcourt could do wonders for this team. They would have to be spenders and be willing to pay a solid amount in luxury taxes to field this team, but with a starting rotation of Brogdon, Ball, Ingram, Williamson and Adams, the Pelicans could definitely be a playoff-contender in the West.
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If they want to make a big move in the offseason, the Pelicans should definitely zone in on striking a deal with the Pacers because both Malcolm Brogdon and center Myles Turner could make huge differences for them. This will be something to monitor in NBA trade rumors since New Orleans has attempted to acquire Turner aggressively in the past.
Look for the Pelicans to make some kind of a big move in the offseason, but they may just settle on re-signing Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart since they are young, core pieces to the Pels success moving forward.
