Why This Trade Makes Sense For The New Orleans Pelicans

After starting the year 5-10, the New Orleans Pelicans have seemed to flip the page on their season and have won 5 of their last 7 games, including a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have been fantastic this year and look like two All-Star players this season, but this team still has some holes to fill. 

Lonzo Ball and Eric Bledsoe have been improving in this system each and every game, but this team is still searching for answers outside of these four players mentioned. Their bench is not really that deep and they have a lot of new faces on this roster and newer players in the league. 

Getting two established players in DJ Augustin and Pat Connaughton does not make the Pelicans a legit playoff team by any means, but it gives them the assets to have a better chance of making it to the playoffs. This team is ultimately going to go as far as Ingram and Zion can carry them, but getting those extra bench players who know what it takes to win can be the key for this organization. 

With young players like Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Josh Hart, Jaxson Hayes and Kira Lewis Jr, adding two guys in Augustin and Connaughton could be great locker room additions as well. The Pelicans are a very young team and with no real veteran leaders, the young Pelicans players could really benefit from this trade. 

If New Orleans is going to make the playoffs, they are going to have to get more talent around Ingram and Williamson, which is what this trade gives them. They may not be the flashiest names, but DJ Augustin and Pat Connaughton are more than capable of fitting their roles with the Pelicans in their attempts to make a playoff push.