Pelicans Player Trade Value Rankings
The NBA trade deadline is less than two weeks away. Teams all across the league are fielding out their assets in hope of striking a deal before it’s too late. The Pelicans are a team with limited flexibility, but valuable players. This piece ranks and explains the value each Pelican has on the NBA trade market.
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NOTE: This is not indicative of how good or skilled the player currently is, but rather a ranking of their potential trade value, taking their contract, age, and skill-set into account. This also isn’t a ranking of how likely the player is to be traded, since most of our valuable players are tied to the core of the team.
The Pelicans have impressed the NBA recently, especially with their victory over the Hawks, but no team is safe from a potentially opportunistic deal. Find out which players could make that deal happen.
This is obviously a no brainer,
is 21 and has a 32.07 PER rating which is not only the highest of this season, it’s the highest in NBA history. Davis has a legitimate case for being the best player in the NBA today and he’s younger than
. There’s a 0% Anthony Davis gets traded, and the only team in the league who could make a feasible offer is OKC, he’s the clear #1.
has a legitimate case to present as the Pelican’s second best player, but
is more valuable. Jrue is a year younger and his versatility coupled with his cap friendly contract makes him a very attractive target. There are currently only 3 NBA PGs who average at least 15 and 7 while shooting above 35% from three,
,
, and Jrue Holiday. Out of those three Jrue is probably the best defender as well, and per Synergy Sports the Pelicans score more efficiently on Holiday’s pick and rolls then the Rockets do on James Harden’s, and the Clippers do on Chris Paul’s. Steph Curry is the only starting PG with a more efficient pick and pop game then Jrue, and though that has a lot to do with Anthony Davis, it shows Jrue is clearly an elite playmaker. Most importantly Jrue is only 24 years old, and his contract is also more then reasonable. Both
and
received more lucrative deals despite Jrue producing more than then in almost every statistical category. I believe the Pelicans consider Jrue their franchise PG though, so there’s little chance he is moved.
is a very attractive trade target in today’s NBA. He is one of only 8 Power Forwards in the league who averages at least 35% from three, and he’s #1 in three’s made for a PF with 105 made this season. Anderson is on a very friendly contract as well, making 8.4 million this season and 8.5 the next.
will make 8.1 million this season, and is committed for 2 more years after despite being 5 years older than Anderson, and playing at a lower level. Team’s are always on the lookout for stretch-4s, and Ryan Anderson fits their mold perfectly.
The Pelican’s have more or less committed to
. After trading their 2015 first round pick for him it makes sense that they will resign him this summer and pair him next to Davis long-term. Asik is still an asset regardless though,
was traded to the Cavaliers for 2 first rounders because 7’0″ rim protectors are found on almost every strong defensive team and are surprisingly difficult to attain. Asik is also a fantastic rebounder, he now averages 14 rebounds per 36 minutes due to his elite positioning and strength. Asik is unlikely to be traded, but there’s certainly a market for him.
isn’t close to being our 5th best player, but his close to league minimum contract makes him a potentially valuable trade asset. Ajinca is averaging 16.2 points and 13.0 rebounds this season per 36 minutes and will make less than a million dollars this season. The issue is that Ajinca also averages 6.2 fouls per 36 minutes which makes him hard to play long-term, but a team lacking front court depth would certainly put up an offer.
is a very similar type of scoring back-up and he was traded to the suns for a first rounder. The Pelican’s aren’t lacking front court depth, so don’t be surprised if Ajinca is moved by the deadline.
is similar to Ajinca in terms of Value, he’s a legitimate 7’0″ rim protector averaging 13.2 points 9.1 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per 36 minutes along with a reasonable 4.0 fouls. Witney holds opponents to 41.3% at the rim and though it’s not on the same scale or frequency as Asik, a team who needs a young cheap rim protector would certainly take a look due to the fact that he’s making less than a million dollars this season, and is only 24 years old. Witney and Ajinca are both above average backup centers who can’t find minutes due to Davis and Asik needing the bulk, and Withey could very likely be moved in the coming weeks.
has been fantastic for the Pelicans in Jrue Holiday’s absence. He is fearless and capable of leading our entire offense which presents a case for him being our 2nd most important player, but his lack of versatility and inability to play without the ball hurts his value as a trade piece. I don’t think Tyreke is on a bad contract, he will make just about 11 million this season and his current deal is front loaded, the issue is that Tyreke demands a very high usage rate to produce anything valuable. Jrue is a fantastic defender and shot 47% on spot up threes last season. Tyreke is a below average defender and a streaky shooter meaning you can’t play him off-ball and you have to hide him when the team is trying to defend consistently. Very few teams need ball dominant high usage guards who can’t shoot, and for this reason Tyreke isn’t likely to be moved.
has shown he is capable of being a 3 and D type wing player, but his failure to do so consistently hurts his reputation as one. Pondexter is a very smart defender, though he isn’t insanely athletic, being developed by the Grizzlies has significantly advanced his defensive IQ since coming into the league. The issue is that Pondexter is on a 4 year contract, and while his deal never exceeds 5 million dollars a season, team’s may be hesitant to commit to such an inconsistent and injury prone wing player. The Pelican’s organization clearly believe in Quincy, and it’s a safe bet that he stays with the team for at least this season, so don’t expect him to move anywhere soon.
is quickly becoming a favorite of Pelican’s fans due to his work ethic and hustle, but he lacks the quantifiable skills necessary to be a trade asset. Cunningham averages 7.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per 36 minutes. He can’t shoot threes, he can’t handle the ball, and he hustles and puts forth extreme defensive effort but he isn’t an extremely smart help defender or rotator. It’s possible a team who simply wants a strong locker room personality and a pure hustle guy takes a number on him, but Cunningham is more than likely to stay right where he is.
might be the most one-dimensional player in the league, he can’t dribble, he can’t pass, he can’t rebound, and he is an atrocious defender. Luke Babbit is an amazing spot up three-point shooter though, and is currently averaging 48% from three and though he doesn’t shoot them quite enough, it’s clear he is one of the best in the league at making them. A team might decide they are willing to give up something for him because they desperately need a floor spacer, but it’s unlikely they look past his other very apparent flaws.
isn’t one-dimensional like Babbit, because he really can’t do anything well. The one compliment you can give him is that he is pretty good at doing nothing. He won’t make you worse, he will stand in the corner and defend at an acceptable rate. Off the court Salmons is a strong veteran presence, and every team who has had him claims he is an extremely professional player. It’s possible a team decides they want him because they need a veteran to set a professional example, but no one is trading for Salmons due to his on court production.
is a one-dimensional three-point shooting combo guard who is currently shooting 22% from three. When Jimmer is hitting threes he can be a net neutral player, but when he can’t find his shot he is a huge negative to a team’s defensive ability, and only takes shots away from better offensive options. He is on a league minimum salary, so he won’t hurt you past this season if you take a chance on him, but I would be surprised if Jimmer is even in the NBA a year from now.
Here’s the grand finale.
is averaging 12.9 points a game this season and will make over 30 million dollars over the next two seasons. He has never played more than 62 games since his rookie season and he is statistically one of the worst rebounders in NBA history. Eric Gordon isn’t a terrible player, he’s an average ball handler and a good three-point shooter, and has actually been solid since coming back from injury as well. Gordon is probably the team’s 6th best player, but his atrociously extravagant contract makes him the least attractive trade asset on the team, and arguably the worst trade asset in the league.