The New Orleans Pelicans just revamped their roster on Friday, acquiring guard Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Larry Nance, Dyson Daniels and a draft pick.
But they could possibly still not be done, with Brandon Ingram still on the Pelicans' roster after months of trade rumors. If New Orleans is looking for an offensive upgrade at center, they could do worse than Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton. In fact, The Pelicans are the betting favorite to be Deandre Ayton's next team if he's moved this offseason, per BetOnline.
The Pelicans are +300 to be Ayton's next team, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder at +400, the Chicago Bulls at +600, and the Los Angeles Clippers at +700.
Ayton played incredibly well down the stretch for the Blazers, averaging 22.7 points and 12.5 rebounds after the All-Star break. The team struggled to integrate the former top-overall pick earlier in the season. He also dealt with knee tendinitis and missed time with an elbow injury after a brutal collision with Kevin Love of the Miami Heat.
While Ayton takes a lot of grief from fans and national pundits for his low free-throw rate and the way things didn't work out in Phoenix, he's a highly effective offensive player who had one of the top midrange shooting percentages in the NBA last season. Overall, Ayton averaged 16.7 points and 11.1 rebounds in 55 games for the Blazers last season.
Blazers draft decisions could make Deandre Ayton available to Pelicans
The Portland Trail Blazers got their man, selecting UConn center Donovan Clingan with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
Clingan is definitely more of a throwback center than the other three(!) centers on the Blazers' roster. Ayton is athletic as heck but instead thrives in the pick-and-pop and seems almost averse to getting to the free-throw line.
Robert Williams III is a more mobile defensive anchor who succeeds with positioning but can't be counted on to play a full – or even half – season due to chronic knee issues. And Duop Reath stretches the floor out to the 3-point line to punish defenders helping off of him as Portland's guards penetrate into the paint.
Clingan will start next season in the rotation as the firm backup unless Ayton is somehow dealt in the offseason. He should provide the Blazers with a jolt of rim protection and defensive rebounding.
While his offense isn't exactly polished, there are reports that his shooting form is further along and better than some people give him credit for. If Clingan can develop any kind of face-up move in addition to his throwback center skills, this pick is a home run.
It remains to be seen what kind of offers the Blazers could get for Ayton.
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