The New Orleans Pelicans have been fairly active in the NBA's trading markets to churn up a new roster around Zion Williamson for next season. Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., and E.J. Liddell are out. Dejounte Murray is in. However, there are still some roster spots to fill. The front office is now shopping the bargain bin for free agent help in the frontcourt.
The Pelicans are already spying on some 2025 prospects to get ahead of next summer's draft. New Orleans needs help on the frontcourt more than anything now though. Thankfully, EVP David Griffin has built a solid foundation that should prove enticing to at least one well-respected veteran or reclamation project contributor.
Bringing old heads on board
New Orleans effectively replaced Jaxson Hayes with Cody Zeller to get some championship experience in the locker room. Look for that to continue with Yves Missi now needing mentorship. Daniel Theis will be fighting for minutes in hopes of earning a starting spot. JaVale McGee, Thaddeus Young, and Mike Muscala are perfect for a veteran supporting cast.
McGee is a 36-year-old with experience in nine different franchises across 16 seasons. Like Larry Nance Jr, who spoke very highly of the organization, McGee is another well-respected journeyman who might appreciate seeing another side of the business. He also has three championship rings to show off to Zion Williamson.
Young was a buyout pickup by the Phoenix Suns this spring after being dropped by the Toronto Raptors. Fans were calling for more minutes almost immediately, though that may be an indictment on Drew Eubanks. Others have called the 36-year-old an Old Testament wisdom-filled book on the shelf. Willie Green would enjoy the chance to squeeze one last productive year out of the New Orleans native.
Muscala started his NBA career with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Six more teams and 11 seasons later, Muscala returned to the Thunder after being bought out by the tanking Detroit Pistons. Several contenders were hoping to add Muscala's shooting and calming nature to the bench for a postseason run. Now there just might not be room in OKC. New Orleans is the perfect landing spot for the 33-year-old's three points, three rebounds, and an assists type of production in limited minutes.
Mean-streak options with fewer miles
The Pelicans might opt to go for younger players that would better mesh with the current core. The front office might even want to inject a bit more of a mean-streak personality into an injury-plagued locker room. Jose Alvarado will need help in the No Pain, No Gain department with Jonas Valanciunas and Naji Marshall leaving town. Chimezie Metu, Precious Achiuwa, and/or Jae Crowder might just be able to give GTA an assist.
Metu averaged 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 three-pointers in 29.4 minutes per game with the Detroit Pistons last season. Still, new President of Basketball Ops Trajan Landon declined Metu's $2.65 million option for next season. Metu might be a treasure for the Pelicans despite being thrown on the trash heap by the team's former GM.
Achiuwa will not be doing any Steph Curry impersonations. Honestly, even one Seth Curry kind of night would be a bonus. Achiuwa's defense would be the buy-low-sell-high play here. The 24-year-old averaged 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 24.2 minutes over 49 games (18 starts) with the New York Knicks. The Pelicans might have to go slightly above the minimum but the front office still has enough wiggle room to outbid other hard-capped contenders.
Crowder is the kind of guy that is hated by everyone, except when he is on your team. Every team needs one brash type. Locker rooms can't be filled with a dozen milk-drinking dudes. Someone has to be that shot of whiskey that riles things up a bit. Crowder is the right kind of foolishness to add the fighting finishing touches to a playoff team. His in-your-face defense, locker-room leadership, and 35% three-point shooting will help keep everyone on both teams honest at all times.
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