In case you were sleeping under a rock (or got bored after three quarters), New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson exploded for 17 of his 22 points, including 4 for 4 from 3-point range, in the fourth quarter of his colorful NBA debut on Wednesday, a 121-117 loss to the Spurs.
The ripple effects produced by Zion's 284-pound frame officially landing on an NBA court in real game action are far-reaching and significant. The Western Conference playoffs, the Rookie of the Year race and the Pelicans' expectations are all affected, but we should also look at how Williamson's return could potentially affect the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.
It was clear from the offseason moves made by New Orleans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin that the franchise's goal was to remain competitive during their post-Anthony Davis rebuild, and Williamson is a huge part of that, both literally and figuratively. After the Pelicans' slow start to the season and with few high-impact players on the trade market, names like JJ Redick, Derrick Favors and Jrue Holiday suddenly became quite attractive. But now Zion is back, and the Pelicans are closer to the playoffs than many envisioned a few weeks ago.
The Pelicans have made no indication that they're interested in trading any of their players, but you have to wonder if -- now that they're within striking distance of the playoffs with Williamson back in the fold -- they might consider cashing in one or more of those assets before the deadline to have their King Cake and eat it too. There's a world in which the Pelicans could trade a veteran or two, pick up even more future assets, and still make the playoffs during Zion's abbreviated rookie season. It's an idea at least worth pursuing, so let's look at some of the options the Pelicans face before Feb. 6.
First, when we talk about moves, we're basically talking about Redick, Favors and Holiday. It wouldn't make sense at this point for the Pelicans to part with any of their young core of Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. They certainly could move one of their role players like E'Twaun Moore, Josh Hart or Frank Jackson if the price is right, but those will hardly move the needle. So for the purposes of this exercise, we'll focus on the three veterans -- here's a look at their remaining contracts:
- 2019-20: $13.5M
- 2020-21: $13M
- 2021: Unrestricted free agent
- 2019-20: $17.7M
- 2020: Unrestricted free agent
- 2019-20: $27M
- 2020-21: $26.3M
- 2021-22: $27.2M (player option)
- 2022: Unrestricted free agent
Option 1: Do nothing
This is perhaps the most realistic outcome for the Pelicans at the trade deadline. Griffin has yet to see how coach Alvin Gentry can make use of the talent he was given, not only because of Williamson's absence, but also due to injuries up and down the roster throughout the season. They were finally starting to play well before Zion's return, so it might be disruptive and counterproductive to shake things up now. By keeping Redick, Favors and Holiday with the emergence of Ingram and Ball, alongside a singular talent like Williamson, the Pelicans can give their fans an exciting product to root for as they chase the playoffs for the rest of the season. If things don't work out, they can re-assess the big picture over the summer. The only fear in doing that would be losing Favors for nothing -- he'll likely command some decent money in a weak 2020 free agent market ... which brings us to option No. 2.
Option 2: Trade Derrick Favors
Favors' impact on the Pelicans has been clear -- the team is a plus-4.2 in net rating when he's on the court, and he ranks among the best rim-protectors in the NBA, allowing 0.937 points per possession around the basket, according to Synergy Sports Technology. New Orleans' turnaround since mid-December has coincided with Favors returning from a month-long absence. That being said, there are a few reasons the Pelicans should at least consider trading him.
First, his contract is expiring. As mentioned before, if they don't trade him, they risk losing him for nothing in free agency this summer. Second, he's had a hard time staying on the court -- he's played in only 26 games this season, and seems to miss at least one game each week due to various ailments. Third, there's slight positional redundancy with Williamson if and when the rookie returns at full strength. Nobody is quite sure where exactly Williamson will fall positionally, but the idea of playing him as a small ball center surrounded by shooters is as tantalizing as any configuration in the league. In his debut, Williamson did the bulk of his damage as the lone big with Favors off the court.
Are the Pelicans a better team with Favors? Yes. But that doesn't mean keeping him around is the best thing for the organization. With Hayes emerging ahead of schedule as a viable center option, New Orleans would be foolish to not at least explore possible Favors trades. Given his skill set and relatively workable salary, contenders could come calling.
Option 3: Trade JJ Redick
Much like trading Favors, moving Redick would simply be a way to maximize assets. The spacing Redick provides has been essential to the Pelicans offense this season -- the team has an offensive rating of 111.6 with him on the court this season, compared to 104.8 without him -- and that's not to mention the impact he has on a young team in terms of leadership. However, there are plenty of contenders out there chomping at the bit for a shooter of Redick's capabilities. At a reasonable $13M owed to him next season, teams could put together an enticing package which would force the Pelicans to at least listen.
Williamson's return, however, makes it hard to imagine the Pelicans parting ways with Redick. If there's one thing we know about Zion, it's that he'll benefit from floor spacing, which Redick is one of the best in the league at providing. The idea of Williamson-Redick drive-and-kicks and dribble-hand-offs may be too exciting to give up on before Feb. 6. A Redick trade appeared much more plausible a month ago with Zion out and the Pelicans struggling. Now, it just doesn't make much sense.
Option 4: Trade Jrue Holiday
Probably the least likely of the four scenarios, we have to at least include Holiday because of a potential "Godfather" offer coming from a desperate contender. Holiday, who was reportedly available for a hefty price back in December, is one of the few players out there on a reasonable contract who can fit into almost any roster and make an immediate impact on both ends of the floor. Denver has been rumored as a potential Holiday destination, along with Philadelphia and Miami. If one of them, or another team, comes calling with an attractive package of young players and/or future assets, it might just be too much to refuse.
One possible impetus for a deal from the Pelicans side is Holiday's age. At 29, he doesn't exactly align with the team's young core. And while he's steady, it's quite conceivable that Holiday will be declining while young players like Ingram, Ball and Williamson are starting to hit their stride.
That being said, Holiday is the perfect player to put alongside those potential All-Stars as they develop -- he can play on or off the ball, defend multiple positions and is one of the best locker room presences in the league. A two-man game between Holiday and Williamson will drive defenses absolutely insane. If the Pelicans want to remain competitive while they build toward a championship, Holiday seems like almost the perfect piece. It would likely take an absolute haul to pry him from New Orleans, but -- as we know in the NBA -- you can never count anything out.
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January 23, 2020 at 06:41AM
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How Zion Williamson's return could affect Pelicans' willingness to deal veterans at the NBA trade deadline - CBS Sports
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