There are some big red circles on NBA calendars over the last two weeks of the calendar year. Practically the entire league will be trade-eligible on December 15th, just days before every front office flies to Orlando for the annual G-League showcase. Over 30 players got NBA call-ups after last year's event.
New Orleans Pelicans decision-makers have one last chance to evaluate their talent stashed on the Birmingham Squadron (7-6) before roster-shuffling season truly ramps up.
Pelicans watching two-way games played limit
The Pelicans have three players on two-way contracts: Dereon Seabron, Matt Ryan and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Those three are allowed to be active for up to 50 total games under the new collective bargaining agreement. Ryan (13), Robinson-Earl (10) and Seabron (5) are already over halfway through that allotment.
Do not expect many NBA minutes for anyone in this two-way trio going forward though. The Pelicans are celebrating CJ McCollum, Naji Marshall and Trey Murphy III returning from stints on the injury report. Ryan is headed in the opposite direction. The sharpshooter was ruled out after arthroscopy surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow on December 12th. He will be out for at least six to eight weeks.
Seabron (23.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 7.4 APG) is shooting 53% from three-point range and leading the Squadron in scoring per game. It's only a five-game sample size, but his G League performance has been encouraging should Pelicans head coach Willie Green need to press the score-first combo guard into action. Seabron has looked like a passable NBA-caliber reserve option in both Birmingham and New Orleans.
Robinson-Earl has been with the Pelicans since signing a two-way deal on November 3rd as an insurance option, allowing veteran big man Larry Nance Jr. to heal up fully. Where Seabron is still a bit of an unknown after playing 10 NBA games, Robinson-Earl is more of a known commodity with over 100 NBA games played.
Like Nance, Robinson-Earl is a matchup piece good for about seven points and five rebounds a night. The defense is average at best, though, which makes it tough to see Green giving him another shot to stick in the rotation.
Three rookie contracts, one NBA roster spot
The Pelicans are losing time to find out how Kira Lewis Jr. can help the team. Even the historically hot new rookie, Jordan Hawkins, has recently been squeezed out of the rotation. Perhaps it is a problem without a solution and it's best for all parties if the 2020 NBA Draft's 13th overall pick finishes out the season with a different team. Lewis Jr. has already been relegated to knocking off rust with the Squadron just 24 games into the NBA season.
New Orleans has more rookie contracts than they have room for developmental projects on the roster. Hawkins may have to join Lewis Jr. in Birmingham to see an increase in opportunities to fire away three-pointers. That'd then make three recent Pelicans draft picks toiling away in the G League.
E.J. Liddell spent last year rehabbing after knee surgery. The former second-round pick is averaging 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds while playing 24.5 minutes a night. Not all second-rounders wind up being Herb Jones, though. Liddell commits 5.7 fouls and coughs up 3.7 turnovers per game, only dishing out a single assist. He was supposed to be a stretch big, but Liddell's 27% success rate from three-point range is starting to become concerning.
Birmingham is not a bad spot to be this time of year, but all three recent draft picks would rather be getting the NBA treatment. With all three two-way spots filled, the Pelicans are limited in their options but still have some wiggle room with the roster. Perhaps Lewis Jr. is jettisoned to duck back under the luxury tax and Ryan is converted to a multi-year deal.
Fans will have to be patient, but the front office has to have a bit more urgency. The other 29 teams will not wait for them to further evaluate the roster before making any moves, and some big dates are coming up this week.
Follow Us
Subscribe