The NBA's Trade Deadline is less than a month away and teams are starting to commit to certain pathways. Contenders are waiting, looking to load up on the cheap. Sellers are starting to strike deals before the market resets and potential trade partners move on to other options. The standings are starting to shake out and, unfortunately, injuries have already derailed seasons. Thankfully for Crescent City fans, the New Orleans Pelicans look poised to be a playoff contender needing just a tweak or two before February 8.
The Toronto Raptors started their rebuild by sending OG Onunoby to the New York Knicks for young players and draft picks. Others, like the Washington Wizards, are clearing spots so they can flip their few assets while getting paid second-round picks and roster filler to accommodate bad contracts. The Pelicans, who've been responding to rough patches with winning streaks, have plenty of draft picks and a few enticing contracts. A home run move is unlikely though. Expect more singles like Executive Vice President David Griffin promised this summer.
Griffin has operated on two core principles since taking the Pelicans' top job back in 2019: Maximize leverage over potential trade partners and avoid the luxury tax as long as possible. Griffin went into negotiations with the Los Angeles Lakers (Anthony Davis), Milwaukee Bucks (Jrue Holiday), and Portland Trail Blazers (CJ McCollum) knowing those organizations were more desperate to get a deal done than the Pelicans. The franchise has also never paid the luxury tax, raking in millions a year from the league's annual payouts.
Pelicans cash in Kira Lewis Jr., punt on paying tax
The Pelicans could be a top-four team in the Western Conference as is and avoid the luxury tax by trading the out-of-favor Kira Lewis Jr. to a team with space for a cheaper, instantly waivable contract. New Orleans could then convert Matt Ryan's two-way contract to a fully guaranteed minimum NBA deal. This small move would give Willie Green another floor-spacing option off the bench and Team Governor Gayle Benson another year's reprieve from paying the tax.
Packaging Lewis Jr. with a second-rounder would just be an accounting move. Adding Cody Zeller and Naji Marshall to the deal might land the Pelicans a rotational piece. Marshall is a soon-to-be unrestricted free agent looking to get paid and Zeller can be replaced with another big on a league minimum deal. Upgrading around the edges and winning in the margins might be the best move. The front office needs to see how this locker room handles a playoff series before shaking things up too drastically.
Make no mistake though, Lewis Jr. is wrapping up the last of his days with the Pelicans. The soon-to-be 23-year-old was last seen going 8-21 from the field, and 1-8 from three-point range, with the G-League's Birmingham Squadron. It is in the interest of both player and team that Lewis Jr. find a fresh start elsewhere.
Team needs friendly value or c'est la vie to Jonas Valanciunas
Jonas Valanciunas is one of the most respected, dependable, and consistent big men to ever play the game. He has been a constant yet durable presence in NBA and FIBA action for over a decade.
The stout Lithuanian has never caused much friction in the locker room and prefers to sign extensions instead of testing the free-agent market. Those 31-year-old legs still have a few more seasons worth of tread but the Pelicans can only pay or risk so much.
The starting point for a contract extension will be Valanciunas' current $15,435,000 cap hit. The salary cap will rise approximately 4.4% next season, so a small raise is defendable. If the Pelicans play out the year and things do not work out, he can be moved over the summer.
Griffin has already signed an extension. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram both signed up for the full five years with no opt-outs. Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III are homegrown franchise cornerstones with All-Star and All-Defense level talent. Consider the last four years mission accomplished then, right? Not so fast. There is still one free agency period left before a potential Trey Murphy III rookie scale contract extension kicks in.
Griffin's front office can keep it clean by keeping the status quo and dropping Kira Lewis Jr.. They could also make things complicated and really shuffle the deck by dealing for Valanciunas for Kelly Olynyk or Lauri Markkannen. There will be a move in the next month though, there is no doubt. The Pelicans are in no-man's land financially, just over the tax with a not-yet-proven roster built around young NBA All-Stars. That is the one spot this organization has been avoiding since its inception.
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