As the New Orleans Pelicans head into the 2022 NBA Draft and the free agency period, they have an eye on revamping their backcourt depth.
For one, the Pelicans have reportedly made point guard Devonte’ Graham available for a trade, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
Graham joined the Pelicans last year via a sign-and-trade agreement with the Charlotte Hornets. This came after the Hornets extended a qualifying offer to the versatile guard, which then made him a restricted free agent. In the end, the Hornets opted to ship him off to New Orleans, and it paved the way for LaMelo Ball to be the team’s go-to starting point guard.
Graham ended up signing off on a four-year, $47 million agreement, and as it stands, he is owed $36.3 million for the remaining three seasons of his contract, although the final year on his deal is not fully guaranteed.
The fourth-year point guard opened up the 2021-2022 season as the Pelicans’ starter at the position, but this changed as the campaign progressed. He ended up starting in just two of the Pelicans’ final eight contests of the regular season, as head coach Willie Green decided to instead roll out big lineups in anticipation of the playoffs.
Overall, Graham finished the year with an 11.9 points per game average coupled with a 36.3 field goal percentage — both of which were the lowest since his rookie campaign.
As mentioned, the Pelicans may go all out to soon rejuvenate their backcourt depth — and this could begin with their No. 8 overall selection in the draft. They worked out several guards over the past few weeks, including former Kentucky standout Shaedon Sharpe.
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