While pretty much everyone was asleep, the Phoenix Suns made one of the biggest moves in recent trade deadline history. The Suns capitalized on the turmoil surrounding the Brooklyn Nets by making a huge trade for Kevin Durant, and in the process, have immediately turned themselves into one of the most dangerous teams in the Western Conference. Many of their competitors, including the New Orleans Pelicans, quickly took note of this massive deal.
The Pelicans gave the Suns a run for their money as the eight seed in the first round of the playoffs last season, and they have clearly taken the next step forward this season. Despite that, they have dealt with quite a few injuries along the way, which has limited them to a 29-27 record, which is good for just seventh place in the West right now.
New Orleans has been aggressive in exploring deals in the buildup to the trade deadline, but the Suns, who are only a game ahead of them in the standings, yet currently sit in fifth place, making this huge move, the front office has to take note and make a big splash. The best potential remaining trade target appears to be O.G. Anunoby of the Toronto Raptors, and with the Pels expressing interest in him, let's see why they absolutely have to pick up Anunoby in the aftermath of the Durant deal.
Why the Pelicans need O.G. Anunoby
Anunoby has been one of the brighter young players to come up with the Raptors in recent memory, but now that Toronto is experiencing a horrible 2022-23 campaign, it sounds like they might trade him before the deadline in order to avoid handing him an expensive extension in the near future. That has put teams like the Pelicans on high alert with the deadline now upon us.
Anunoby is one of the better two-way wing players in the game currently, and his numbers for Toronto this season are very strong (16.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2 APG, 45.7 FG%). Anunoby can get buckets on his own offensively, and he spends most of his time on defense guarding the opposing team's top player.
As they are currently constructed, the Pelicans have a strong core group leading the way in Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum. The problem is that Williamson has continued to struggle with injuries, and Ingram only recently made his return to the court after a lengthy absence. When these three are all on the court together, the Pelicans are in a good spot to succeed, but adding some insurance in the event Williamson never gets truly healthy is a good idea.
Even if Williamson does eventually return, which is never a guarantee to happen, Anunoby would be a solid fit on this team. He can play both as a forward and as a shooting guard, which will give a versatile Pelicans team even more options to mix and match with as the season goes on. Adding Anunoby would make an already deep squad even deeper, which will come in handy during the playoffs.
More importantly, though, this deal almost has to be made in an effort to stay in line with the Suns. Phoenix is going to be running out a starting lineup that features Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton now. That's going to be tough for any team in the West to match up with, but if they could add Anunoby, that would give New Orleans arguably the best shot to do so.
New Orleans has been rebuilding for an opportunity to make an impact move like this for years now, and they finally have an opportunity to do so by swinging a deal for Anunoby. The price might be a bit high, but the Pelicans have a war chest of draft picks that not many other teams in the league have, and that won't change even if they have to spend a bit to land Anunoby here.
The Pelicans have proven to be a good team, but in order to make some noise in the playoffs, they are going to have to be a great team. Nobody is comparing Durant to Anunoby here, but the Suns probably needed to pull off that sort of trade more than the Pelicans. New Orleans is just entering the beginning stages of their championship window, while the Suns were watching theirs close in front of their eyes.
The Pels' future is already bright, but they can add to that by moving for Anunoby. He's only 25 years old, and fits the timeline of the team perfectly. And after watching the Suns put all their chips on the table, the pressure is going to be on the front office to make a similar move. Anunoby is there for the taking, and the Pelicans would be wise to do whatever they can to bring him to New Orleans before the deadline strikes.
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