Josh Hart – New Orleans Pelicans
Now 5-17 on the year, the New Orleans Pelicans are playing themselves out of playoff contention in the Western Conference, which could force them to make some big moves at the trade deadline.
Instead of adding talent, they could very well look to trade away key players on their roster for more future value, putting Josh Hart in a very intriguing scenario.
Hart recently signed a three-year, $38M deal with the Pelicans this past offseason, but after the December 15 deadline for recently signed players to become eligible to be traded, New Orleans could look to move the 26-year-old forward since he has been playing so well.
Averaging a career-high 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, career-high 3.6 assists and shooting a career-high 51% from the floor, Josh Hart’s value is at an all-time high right now, which is why the Pelicans could get a lot in return for him.
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Going out and trading for Hart’s long-term contract is not necessarily favorable to the Bulls, but they could make this trade work. Derrick Jones Jr. ($9.7M) and Coby White ($5.8M) are two players that could be moved for Josh Hart, but then the Bulls would need to figure out how to get the Pelicans the draft picks they want.
Maybe another team or two could get involved to make this deal work, but the fit between Chicago and Josh Hart is definitely one that would work out.
His ability to facilitate and rebound from the wing would take a lot of pressure off of guys like LaVine and DeRozan to do everything for this team.
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Plus, Josh Hart is still young and could be a “Sixth-Man” type of player next to Alex Caruso in the second-unit for many years to come in Chicago.
He is athletic, versatile and a key two-way player, which is why Josh Hart would be an excellent acquisition for the Chicago Bulls if they could somehow make this trade with the Pelicans work.
Verdict: Pursue
