Detroit Pistons: 4 possible trade partners at the deadline
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are a bit of a mess right now.
They’ve built their roster around two players who can’t stay healthy in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram and did nothing to improve their team this offseason.
They have already suffered injuries to Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall, so the Pels’ depth is going to be tested right away and that’s before the inevitable Zion/BI injury.
At some point, New Orleans may make one of their stars available, as the duo just doesn’t seem to be tenable. They aren’t great fits together on the court, and they are rarely there together anyway.
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Making a move for Zion would be extremely risky for Detroit, as they’ve already got injury issues of their own, but the Pelicans may decide to just sell off some of their lesser parts instead. They will inevitably trade Jonas Valanciunas, but the guy I’d watch for Detroit is Naji Marshall (pending the severity of his injury).
He’s a glue guy who can defend and make plays, is on an expiring deal. His numbers aren’t going to jump at you, but he’s tough and can defend all over even if his 3-point shot isn’t there. The Pelicans were 24th in made 3-point shots last season, so would love to add another shooter around their stars, so there could be a potential match with Detroit.
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