With the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly open to any trades, is there one that makes sense for the Lakers?
Despite the Anthony Davis trade taking place just shy of six years ago, the final piece of that deal will be completed only this season when the Hawks, who acquired the Lakers first round pick from the Pelicans, make their selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.
So, with that trade all but in the rear view mirror, why not complete another!
The Pelicans took the haul they got from the purple and gold and turned it into a play-in game victory and a couple of first round exits in the playoffs over the course of six years. Now, after toiling away in mediocrity for a number of seasons, might be looking to tank yet again.
In an article on Friday, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports reported that no one is off the table to trade away for the Pelicans heading into the offseason.
There are no untouchables in New Orleans. League sources said the Pelicans are gauging the market for everyone on their roster. They very well could end up keeping their core pieces, but it appears the Pelicans are looking into taking different paths this summer, depending on what opportunities become available.
The Lakers are a team needing to reshape their roster around Luka Dončić, so they’ll certainly be making calls. But who should they be asking about? Well, probably everyone, but there are some names that’ll stick out.
Herb Jones and Trey Murphy
The two players everyone will be calling about will be Murphy and Jones. Both are 3-and-D wings that are going to be highly coveted. At his exit interview, Rob Pelinka spoke about the need for defensive wings and these two would fit that billing.
However, they would also come at a steep cost. There’s a chance the Lakers could put together a package that would be enough to acquire one of them, but does it make sense to spend a lot, or maybe all, of their assets to acquire a wing and not a center?
On that topic…
Yves Missi and Kelly Olynyk
One of the first places the Lakers will look on any roster is going to be the centers. The Pelicans aren’t in a great place in that regard as they were actively looking for centers last season, too.
Missi is a 2024 first round pick who fits the profile of a big the Lakers would want as a lob threat. Last season, he averaged 9.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and was 14th in the league in dunks in 26.8 minutes per game across 73 contests.
Considering he’s on an affordable contract akin to Dalton Knecht’s as he was selected just seven picks later, it would be easy for the Lakers to match salaries. But what would New Orleans want in return for one of their better young pieces?
Olynyk, meanwhile, is a polar opposite to Missi. He’s a stretch big man who has carved out a long career in the league, having played 12 seasons. Last season, he played 44 games between Toronto and New Orleans and averaged 8.7 points on 41.8% shooting from range.
He is on a much larger contract at $13.4 million but it is an expiring deal. Perhaps he could be a fallback option for the Lakers if they strike out on everything else in the offseason.
Zion Williamson
The biggest name on the roster, there might be some people who think trading for Zion is an option. However, it is highly unlikely for a number of reasons.
For one, he can’t hang defensively as a center, so his best position is one currently held by LeBron James. And he doesn’t solve the issue of needing a center. For two, he has played over 30 games just once in the last four seasons and missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season.
For three, he’s due $39 million next season before being on the books for $42.1 million and $44.8 million the following two seasons.
And none of that is to speak of a potential looming legal case after recent allegations.
It’s a hard pass for the Lakers.
Others
There are other players who could be of interest, but it’d be likely much smaller deals. The exceptions to that would be CJ McCollum or Dejounte Murray, but neither make sense for the Lakers.
Jose Alvarado is on a cheap deal and could be an energy guard off the bench. Jordan Hawkins is also a young guard but doesn’t make a ton of sense for the Lakers.
There are players, then, that could make sense for the Lakers in a trade. But they’re also players who are going to be coveted, so it could drive up the price for the Lakers. Still, it’ll be worth monitoring as the offseason nears.