Move Eric Bledsoe and possibly Steven Adams via trade
Both Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams were two offseason acquisitions of the New Orleans Pelicans, but they both have seemed to underachieve this season. Starting with Bledsoe, he has continued to be a solid defender, but offensively, his numbers have continued to decline.
He is only averaging 12.2 points per game this year and he is only shooting 41.7% from the floor, his worst shooting percentage since the 2011-12 season, his second season in the league when he was with the LA Clippers. Now, Bledsoe is under contract through the 2022-23 season, with the final year of his contract being partially-guaranteed for $3.9M.
Steven Adams came to the Pelicans from the Oklahoma City Thunder and he has continued being the bruiser he is in the paint, averaging 8.9 total rebounds per game this season, but he is averaging just 7.6 PPG and has not been that efficient this season overall.
Other centers on the Pelicans in Willy Hernangomez and Jaxson Hayes have been more productive in less time on the court this year, which is why the Pelicans could look to move on from Adams, even though they just gave him a two year contract extension. Adams is owed $35M over the next two seasons, making his contract a little more difficult to move.
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Out of both Bledsoe and Adams, I fully expect the Pelicans to make Eric Bledsoe available in trade talks and he likely will not be in a Pelicans jersey to start the 2021-22 season. $18.1M is a lot to pay him next season, but given that a team can waive him for just $3.9M in 2022, a team looking to rebuild could be interested in taking this offer if they get a draft pick in the process.
The Pelicans need to upgrade their overall talent and by trading away two older players in Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams, both of which are on long-term deals that tie down the Pelicans finances, New Orleans would be taking a step in the right direction to improve their roster.
