State of the Franchise
Projected Cap Space (before luxury tax): $20.6 million
Background: The Pelicans have one of the most talented players in the NBA in PF Anthony Davis. His incredible shot blocking along with his scoring on the other side of the court make him arguably the best two way player in the league. The Pelicans, however, have been unable to capitalize and build a good team around him. Before they drafted Davis in 2012, they had traded superstar PG Chris Paul for a package highlighted by SG Eric Gordon. Then In 2013, they traded their 1st round pick, 6th overall, for star PG Jrue Holiday from the Philadelphia 76ers. That offseason they also traded with the Sacramento Kings for SF Tyreke Evans. All three of these players haven't really worked out for New Orleans, and have also suffered various injuries throughout the past couple of years. This past season, they traded a first round pick for the $15 million expiring contract of C Omer Asik. Currently, they are not in the playoff picture and are due for a major retool.
Current Financial State: The Pelicans have invested a lot of their money in four players: Asik, Holiday, Gordon, and Evans. Asik and Gordon are both being paid $15 million a year, while Holiday and Evans each receive $11 million annually. Asik's contract, however, is coming off the books this offseason. Gordon has a player option for next year, which he is likely to accept, and Holiday and Evans are both on contract through the 2016-17 season. Davis is still on his rookie contract and is clearly due for an extension soon. The Pelicans are paying a lot of money here and aren't even a playoff team. They have to clear up some cap room and they cannot wait for 3 years. Their best option is to ship out these contracts elsewhere.
Targets: The Pelicans won't be looking to fill specific holes in their team this deadline, but will instead be looking for takers for their plethora of huge contracts who can return some expiring deals to the Big Easy. The easiest contract to move would be Eric Gordon's deal. Gordon's contract will likely come off the books in 2016, the year of the stacked free agent class. Even if a team takes his contract, they will maintain cap flexibility for free agency that year. Teams that would target him would likely have playoff aspirations who need help with shooting or at the SG position. A team that fits this mold perfectly is the Charlotte Hornets. With a disappointing year thus far by SG Lance Stephenson, who they just signed to a 3 year/$27 million deal, the Hornets have dropped significantly from the playoff team they were last year. Now they are shopping Stephenson aggressively. The Pelicans would like to acquire Stephenson because he is much more cost-efficient than Gordon, and still provides talent as well. The trade would generally just be a swap between the guards but because of the roughly $6 million gap, the Hornets would also have to add the expiring contract of C Bismack Biyombo. This gives the Pelicans cap flexibility along with the cap relief of dealing away Gordon.
The Fit: Lance Stephenson could fit in really well with the Pelicans. He brings on ball defense, playmaking ability, and fills the stat sheet. Last season, in Indiana, Stephenson showed plenty of talent, leading the league in triple doubles. His defense complements Holiday's offense nicely, and can allow Holiday to take it a little bit easier on defense. He can provide additional scoring and give them more flexibility with their lineups because he can run the point whenever needed. Although this move might be more for financial reasons than on the court, Stephenson could really boost this team as he had shown in flashes last season.
Projected Cap Space (before luxury tax): $20.6 million
Background: The Pelicans have one of the most talented players in the NBA in PF Anthony Davis. His incredible shot blocking along with his scoring on the other side of the court make him arguably the best two way player in the league. The Pelicans, however, have been unable to capitalize and build a good team around him. Before they drafted Davis in 2012, they had traded superstar PG Chris Paul for a package highlighted by SG Eric Gordon. Then In 2013, they traded their 1st round pick, 6th overall, for star PG Jrue Holiday from the Philadelphia 76ers. That offseason they also traded with the Sacramento Kings for SF Tyreke Evans. All three of these players haven't really worked out for New Orleans, and have also suffered various injuries throughout the past couple of years. This past season, they traded a first round pick for the $15 million expiring contract of C Omer Asik. Currently, they are not in the playoff picture and are due for a major retool.
Current Financial State: The Pelicans have invested a lot of their money in four players: Asik, Holiday, Gordon, and Evans. Asik and Gordon are both being paid $15 million a year, while Holiday and Evans each receive $11 million annually. Asik's contract, however, is coming off the books this offseason. Gordon has a player option for next year, which he is likely to accept, and Holiday and Evans are both on contract through the 2016-17 season. Davis is still on his rookie contract and is clearly due for an extension soon. The Pelicans are paying a lot of money here and aren't even a playoff team. They have to clear up some cap room and they cannot wait for 3 years. Their best option is to ship out these contracts elsewhere.
Targets: The Pelicans won't be looking to fill specific holes in their team this deadline, but will instead be looking for takers for their plethora of huge contracts who can return some expiring deals to the Big Easy. The easiest contract to move would be Eric Gordon's deal. Gordon's contract will likely come off the books in 2016, the year of the stacked free agent class. Even if a team takes his contract, they will maintain cap flexibility for free agency that year. Teams that would target him would likely have playoff aspirations who need help with shooting or at the SG position. A team that fits this mold perfectly is the Charlotte Hornets. With a disappointing year thus far by SG Lance Stephenson, who they just signed to a 3 year/$27 million deal, the Hornets have dropped significantly from the playoff team they were last year. Now they are shopping Stephenson aggressively. The Pelicans would like to acquire Stephenson because he is much more cost-efficient than Gordon, and still provides talent as well. The trade would generally just be a swap between the guards but because of the roughly $6 million gap, the Hornets would also have to add the expiring contract of C Bismack Biyombo. This gives the Pelicans cap flexibility along with the cap relief of dealing away Gordon.
The Fit: Lance Stephenson could fit in really well with the Pelicans. He brings on ball defense, playmaking ability, and fills the stat sheet. Last season, in Indiana, Stephenson showed plenty of talent, leading the league in triple doubles. His defense complements Holiday's offense nicely, and can allow Holiday to take it a little bit easier on defense. He can provide additional scoring and give them more flexibility with their lineups because he can run the point whenever needed. Although this move might be more for financial reasons than on the court, Stephenson could really boost this team as he had shown in flashes last season.