New Orleans Pelicans Receive: F Domantas Sabonis, G CJ McCollum, G/F Jeremy Lamb
Indiana Pacers Receive: F Brandon Ingram, C Cody Zeller, LAL 2022 1st Round Pick (Unprotected, via NOP), CLE 2022 2nd Round Pick (via NOP), MIL 2025 1st Round Pick (Unprotected, via NOP)
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: C Jonas Valanciunas, G/F Josh Hart, G Tomas Satoransky, UTA 2022 2nd Round Pick (via NOP), LAL 2024 1st Round Pick (Choice of either 2024 or 2025 from LAL via NOP)
Now this would certainly get things rolling as we get ready for the trade deadline this season!
Domantas Sabonis and Brandon Ingram are both proven All-Star talents and CJ McCollum, while he has never been an All-Star, is one of the better scoring guards in the entire league.
When you look at the New Orleans Pelicans right now, their problem is that they simply do not have the talent to be a real threat in the Western Conference. Brandon Ingram is a great player, but Zion Williamson has been out since the offseason with a foot injury and the Pelicans really do not have dependable scoring options.
Jonas Valanciunas, Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram are arguably the three best talents on the Pelicans roster this season, so trading them away could very well be detrimental to this franchise, but the reward from this trade is very appealing to a struggling New Orleans franchise.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: NBA Insider Details What It Would Take For Pacers To Trade Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis and CJ McCollum create a really strong “one-two” punch offensively, Jeremy Lamb is a key veteran scorer on the wing that is in the final year of his contract and the Pelicans would still have Zion Williamson, who is hopeful to return at some point this season.
Being just 1.5 games back from the Trail Blazers for a spot in the play-in tournament, New Orleans could realistically look to make a push for the playoffs this year by making a trade like this.
Indiana’s ownership has said that they would like to “re-tool” and not “rebuild”, but they really would not be rebuilding in a trade like this. Giving up Sabonis leaves a big hole at the power-forward position for the Pacers to try and fill, but they would have so many options open up to them as a result of making this trade.
Caris LeVert and Myles Turner could still be flipped for value at the deadline and the Pacers would finally have a reliable, All-Star quality scorer on the wing to pair with Malcolm Brogdon. Not to mention, Indiana would get a fair amount of draft compensation to continue building a young core through the years.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: NBA Insider Details What It Would Take For Pacers To Trade Sabonis
With Damian Lillard out indefinitely, the Blazers’ hopes of being special this season have flown out the window and the time to rebuild is now. Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington are both in the final years of their contracts, making them prime trade targets league-wide, but CJ McCollum can bring back the most value.
Josh Hart is only 26-years-old and a key player on the wing that the Trail Blazers can build with moving forward and Jonas Valanciunas is an extremely effective big man. Not only could he be Jusuf Nurkic’s replacement moving forward, but this trade allows Portland to now move Nurkic to another team at the trade deadline for draft picks or young talents.
As crazy as this trade looks, there is definitely value to be had for all three teams involved.
