1. New Orleans Pelicans
One of the most disappointing teams this season has been the New Orleans Pelicans. A lot of that can be attributed to Zion Williamson being sidelined, as he has yet to appear in a game this season and is still a few weeks away.
His foot injury essentially derailed the Pelicans’ season before it started, but the front office didn’t have a strong offseason. Their moves left people scratching their heads, trying to figure out what their plan was. Approaching the midway point of the season, their game plan is still unclear.
It would seem unrealistic for the New Orleans Pelicans to become sellers, as they believe they can make some noise when Williamson gets back in the fold. They already have an All-Star caliber player in Brandon Ingram leading the way, but they need to add more talent to the team.
Upgrading the 3-point shooting is one way to accomplish that. New Orleans is 20th in the NBA in 3-point percentage and Buddy Hield would help turn that around as a 40.2 percent shooter on high volume.
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The Pelicans are who originally selected Hield with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. There were some whispers over the offseason that Josh Hart could be someone the Sacramento Kings targeted but it would likely cost more than Hield.
Hart’s value has increased exponentially since the offseason, becoming a key player for the New Orleans Pelicans. Given how much Hield has struggled, Hart could very well be off the table in negotiations for the Oklahoma product.
