The New Orleans Pelicans' offseason was rather uneventful. Despite plenty of noise surrounding Zion Williamson around the NBA Draft, the Pelicans didn't do much of anything this offseason. The only real addition they made to their team was adding Cody Zeller on a minimum contract after losing Jaxson Hayes in free agency, who bolted New Orleans for the Los Angeles Lakers on a minimum deal.
Outside of that, the Pelicans largely kept their house in order. They declined a team option on Herb Jones only to re-sign him as a restricted free agent to a four-year $54 million contract. They also used their 14th overall pick on UConn sharpshooter Jordan Hawkins.
So the Pelicans were largely static in the offseason, but that doesn't mean that things can't change during the season. Teams are always looking for ways to make their team better and the way to do that during the season is through a trade.
It doesn't seem very likely that the Pelicans would be willing to part with Brandon Ingram or Williamson, but there are still paths for them to look to improve their roster. Two players stand out as potential trade chips the Pelicans can dangle before the February trade deadline.
Jonas Valanciunas
Jonas Valanciunas is a nice change of pace for those who grow stale of the modern game's pace and space. Sometimes its just nice to watch trees for men run into each other, and that's what Valanciunas does. While there is a time and place for feeding a bruising big man every now and then, there are also times where that isn't the case, particularly closing time. Larry Nance Jr. frequently closes games for the Pelicans at center instead of Valanciunas because of Valanciunas' defensive limitations.
Because of this, the Pelicans should look for an upgrade at the center spot defensively. Valanciunas' contract could make that search even easier. Valanciunas is making just over $15 million this year and is entering the final year of his contract. That salary number can help the Pelicans connect with other contracts around the year and if a team is looking to save money, Valanciunas' expiring contract is quite valuable.
Valanciunas is still a quality contributor for this Pelicans team, but if the Pelicans can find an upgrade at the center spot defensively, they should look to make a move.
Kira Lewis Jr.
Kira Lewis Jr. hasn't been able to make his mark in the NBA. Lewis had a lot of fans when he entered the NBA out of the University of Alabama, but he only played 54 games and 902 minutes as a rookie. He then suffered a torn ACL during his sophomore season which not only wiped out all but 24 games of that season, but it ate into his third season as well. In three seasons, Lewis Jr. has only played a total of 103 games.
All of a sudden, Lewis Jr. finds himself in a squeeze for minutes. He isn't going to start over CJ McCollum or Herb Jones, who has been a Pelicans starter since he stepped foot in the league out of the University of Alabama. If Jones doesn't start, it would be because Trey Murphy III takes his spot, but Murphy could be sidelined for the start of the season with a knee injury. If he starts, that means Jones is coming off the bench alongside Jose Alvarado, who has emerged as New Orleans' feisty backup point guard.
Dyson Daniels and Jordan Hawkins, the two most recent Pelicans first-round picks, also need minutes. It gets really hard to find minutes for Lewis Jr., fair or not. Because of that, New Orleans doesn't need Lewis Jr. and finding him a new home to get his career back on track and get an asset or two in the process would benefit both sides.
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