With the NBA trade deadline less than two months away, the league is slowly starting to break into two groups: Buyers and sellers. Unless the New Orleans Pelicans are confident that Zion Williamson can dig them out of a 15-game hole upon his return, they will likely be sellers at the trade deadline, and teams have already shown interest in two of their key veterans.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, teams are monitoring whether or not the Pelicans will make Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick available in the midst of their 6-21 start to the season:
“Jrue Holiday has loved being in New Orleans. He’s embraced that town, but he’s at a point in his career, too, where he’s not going to be interested in a rebuild. It’s becoming that, so I think you’re going to see a lot of the league here wanting to see Jrue Holiday, JJ Redick — who signed a two-year deal. There’s not a contender in the league who wouldn’t love to get JJ Redick on their roster. So I think [teams will] watch how this plays out in New Orleans between now and the first of the year, ’cause most of the teams are watching to see if they can get at some of those guys.”
Given the general direction of the franchise, it makes some sense for the Pelicans to move on from Holiday and Redick. The Pelicans employ nine guards and while Holiday and Redick might be the best of the bunch, they’re also the oldest. In fact, Holiday and Redick are the only guards on New Orleans’ roster over the age of 25.
Between Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Frank Jackson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kenrich Williams, the Pelicans have enough guards on the roster to make due without Holiday and Redick. That’s not to mention the picks or young prospects they’d get in return for Holiday and Redick.
The alternative would be to try and flip one of their younger guards for an asset or assets — most notably Lonzo Ball. Ball has been an awkward fit alongside Holiday in the backcourt, so if the Pelicans are committed to Holiday, they may need to move on from Ball.
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One thing’s clear: With how crowded the backcourt is, the Pelicans will need to move someone before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6.