Why This Trade Makes Sense For The New Orleans Pelicans

Outside of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram this year, production has been hard to come by for the Pelicans and they are not that great of a defensive team either. While they have their two superstar talents, the Pelicans are very much a “mid-tier” team this year and need to start making some moves to turn this team into a playoff contender. 

Lonzo Ball has been great for them this year and has stepped up to be their third leading scorer, but this team is going to need a lot more if they are going to have a shot at making the playoffs this year. With Eric Bledsoe, Kira Lewis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the backcourt, the Pelicans could get away with trading Lonzo Ball in order to add more talent and depth to the wing. 

Alec Burks is a very underrated bench player in the league and over the last few seasons, has been a very consistent double-digit bench scorer. He is shooting over 40% from three-point range this year, not only making him a valuable offensive asset, but someone who could easily give the Pelicans a major spark in their second-unit. 

Ingram and Zion are the only main scorers on this team this year and while Burks is not a high-volume scorer, he is a very impactful offensive player who is more than capable of knocking down a shot or two when it matters most. 

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Having this kind of player in their second-unit can not only improve the Pelicans bench, but give them the depth on the wing they need to potentially sneak into the playoffs in the Western Conference. This team is a year or two away and possibly a player away from being a legit contender in the Western Conference, but there is no reason why they cannot make the playoffs this year.  

Trading away Lonzo Ball definitely hurts their backcourt in terms of production, but Burks can replicate his scoring on the wing and they also get a young talent in Ntilikina and a first-round pick out of this trade. With Ball being in the final year of his contract, this trade could give New Orleans a boost in future assets.