The NBA’s February 8th trade deadline is just a week away and a couple big deals have already been made. OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam found new basketball zip codes so the Toronto Raptors can fanally jumpstart are rebuild. The New Orleans Pelicans got in on that early action, too, sending former lottery pick Kira Lewis Jr. out with a second-rounder to duck below the luxury tax.
Executive Vice President David Griffin could have possibly waited to see if another team would give up an asset for Lewis Jr. Instead the front office decided to get ahead of the action early, doing their only piece of necessary business well before the bidding began for more talented options. Now the Pelicans can go into the last week of the bidding wars with no pressure to shed salary in what could have become a more complex, costly deal.
Fans might get upset if New Orleans stands pat, but that is not the worst outcome that could happen before the trade deadline. Prices for some All-Star level talents are going to be too steep for the Pelicans, as tax-paying contenders take one final swing before the punitive damages of the new CBA kick in next season. No, the most awful scenario for New Orleans would be missing out on an opportunity to upgrade on the cheap.
Pelicans must be ready to buy at trade deadline
For instance, Dejounte Murray is reportedly still the top target for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pelicans own the Los Angeles’ first-round pick in 2024 but can defer it to next year’s draft. New Orleans needs that pick to be as valuable as possible. Letting LeBron James team up with Murray at the cost of D’Angelo Russell and a single, far-into-the-future first-round pick would stoke up the frustrations of the Smoothie King Center’s most loyal customers.
