The New Orleans Pelicans are falling apart after a strong start to the season, but they had an opportunity to improve themselves at the NBA trade deadline. While they didn't make a ton of moves, it's hard to say that the Pelicans are in a worse spot after they managed to pick up Josh Richardson from the San Antonio Spurs.

It's not the flashiest move ever, but Richardson is a solid two-way wing player who will immediately have a spot for himself in New Orleans' rotation. Considering how they only had to give up Devonte' Graham and four second-round draft picks, that's not exactly a bad deal, and Richardson should have a big role on the team throughout the rest of the season.

The problem is that the Pelicans top competitors in the West all managed to get marginally better around them, and while this move for Richardson isn't bad, it's not exactly as good as going out and getting Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving. New Orleans had an opportunity to make a big splash, and their failure to do so will go down as their biggest mistake at the 2023 trade deadline.

Pelicans 2023 NBA trade deadline mistake: Not trading for O.G. Anunoby

After the Durant trade, it was clear that teams around the West felt a bit of pressure to make some big moves themselves in order to keep up with the Suns. That made O.G. Anunoby of the Toronto Raptors one of the top remaining trade targets, with the Raptors looking for a very high return for the young two-way wing.

Anunoby is having a strong season with Toronto (16.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2 APG, 45.7 FG%) but the Raptors don't seem to want to hand him a massive extension, which they will have to do at some point in the near future. Anunoby is just 25 years old, and has proven to be one of the best young two-way players in the game, making him an extremely valuable trade target.

The Pelicans were interested in Anunoby, and it made a lot of sense why they were. The Pels have struggled with injuries all season long, and while their star trio of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum is strong, they have rarely taken the court together this season. Adding another player to work with these guys in Anunoby made a lot of sense.

Instead, New Orleans never seemed to be totally interested in Anunoby given the Raptors huge asking price of three first-round picks. In a way, that makes sense, but the Pelicans have a massive collection of first-round picks and pick swaps that not many teams in the NBA have. They have been rebuilding for the opportunity to land a player like Anunoby for quite some time.

The Raptors price for Anunoby was high, but this is a guy who fits their timeline and would be a seamless fit into their rotation. Anunoby could play at either shooting guard or small forward, and give the Pels another player who can play strong defense while also chipping in 15-20 points a night. He may have been expensive, but for New Orleans, it may have very well been worth it.

Settling for Richardson isn't the worst thing (11.5 PPG, 3.3 APG, 2.8 RPG, 43.6 FG%) but he doesn't offer the same upside that Anunoby offers. And at the end of the day, their failure to make a game-changing move for Anunoby could be what destroys the Pelicans this season, especially with all the injury concerns they have dealt with.

Richardson will have a role in the rotation immediately, but it's not like he will be directly leading to wins like Anunoby could have, especially as the team waits for Williamson to return to the court. Right now, the Pelicans seem to be stuck between wanting to contend currently while also holding onto their draft picks for the long run.

It's a dangerous line to walk, and while they may have better trade options this upcoming offseason, the Pelicans are taking a risk by letting the Suns and Mavericks go out and make big moves that leave them behind in the dust. There's still time for them to keep up, but their chances of winning this season took a big hit at the deadline.

Maybe that's not the worst thing, but it felt like making a move for Anunoby was something this team couldn't pass up. But as we all know now, that's precisely what they did, and now we will have to see whether or not they are able to get healthy in time for the playoffs. But even if that does end up happening, New Orleans doesn't match up well with the top teams in the West anymore, and after passing up on Anunoby, it's clear that their failure to add another young star player will be their biggest trade deadline mistake.