The New Orleans Pelicans face a situation where they had aspirations to make the NBA playoffs this season. However, with Zion Williamson not having played a single game, it’s been a real challenge for them to stay in serious contention with the personnel available as the trade deadline nears,
Depending on the direction the Pelicans want to go for the remainder of the season, the trade deadline could be important either way. If the goal is to maximize draft positioning, then moving on from key pieces could make sense. If the intent is to make a late season push after Williamson returns, adding more talent is the way to go.
It appears there’s some clarity in regards to the intent the Pelicans have with potential moves at the NBA trade deadline. New Orleans aims to make a playoff push.
One team that stands out as a potential trade partner for the Pelicans is the Portland Trail Blazers. They face a financial crunch for an underachieving team and are unlikely to be in position to make a playoff push with Damian Lillard coming off abdominal surgery.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Blazers-Pelicans Trade Lands Norman Powell in NOLA
According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Powell would be ‘open’ to playing for a new team and he’s ‘certainly eyed’ landing with other teams such as the New Orleans Pelicans in the offseason.
There’s some belief that Powell would be open to a new destination . Negotiations over his five-year deal to re-sign in Portland this summer hit several snags, according to league sources, and Powell certainly eyed other destinations, such as New Orleans.
Powell would be a helpful addition for the Pelicans to make. On the season, he’s averaging 18.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while knocking down three-pointers at a 39.9 percent clip on 5.5 attempts per game. His combination of elite spot-up production coupled scoring out of ball screens and handoffs would be an intriguing complement alongside Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Blazers-Pelicans Trade Lands Norman Powell in NOLA
As Fischer also reported, the Pelicans seek ‘significant upgrades’ and it actually would be CJ McCollum that would ‘make more sense’ for New Orleans to purse in a potential trade.
The Pelicans do happen to be searching for significant upgrades in their quest to rebound in to the play-in tournament in, sources said, although McCollum would seem to make more sense as a target for New Orleans.
There is plenty of reason to be intrigued by the idea of a CJ McCollum trade for the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s shown real flashes of dynamic impact throughout his career in games when Damian Lillard was sidelined. If he were to be the primary initiator with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson alongside him, it would be a genuinely intriguing possibility.
It will be fascinating to see what the New Orleans Pelicans end up doing at the NBA trade deadline. For now, two names from the Portland Trail Blazers in Norman Powell and CJ McCollum will be ones to watch as potential trade targets in part of a win-now move.
