Opinion: One or the Other
Lauri Markkanen or Buddy Hield. Pelicans have been rumored to pursuing both players, but I think it is more of only one we can get, and the other will have to go.
More free agency news:
Pelicans aren’t done, and look to add more shooters. It will likely mean Josh Hart is gone for good, and Tomáš Satoranský is likely not a Pelican for long. There are plenty of Pelicans fans (all twelve) that want to make these trades happen.
BUT
I don’t believe that we can pull off both of them.
From an asset perspective, the Pelicans have all the assets in the world. They can give these teams a good offer or two. Salary cap-wise, NBA salary cap is hard to do since it’s not a cap like the NFL. There’s the luxury tax, and trade exceptions, and blah blah blah. They’ll find room. The problem starts with minute allocation.
A typical rotation scheme for an NBA team usually uses a minimum of 6 or 7, and no more than eight. There were not many teams that played nine. And the only time there was a double digit rotation is when a blowout in effect.
So say you get both Hield and Markkanen. Your 15 could look like:
G - Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kira Lewis, DeVonte’ Graham, Buddy Hield, Didi Louzada, Garrett Temple
F - Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Naji Marshall, Herb Jones
C - Jonas Valanciunas, Jaxson Hayes, Lauri Markkanen, Willy Hernangomez
I would like this roster quite a bit for a good/great starting lineup with a very deep bench. The starting lineup for the majority of the season would be:
G - NAW
G - Hield
F - Ingram
F - Zion
C - Jonas
And first rotation could look like:
6th: Graham
7th: Markkanen
8th: Murphy
Do the Pelicans play a ninth?
Would it be Kira? Naji? The allocation would be challenging. I do think the Pels do want to get Murphy quality playing time, and I’m sure Griffin would butt in and have Willie play Kira good minutes.
But for now, let’s say they can only get one. Who would be the better option?
Case for Buddy Hield:
Buddy would be the easier to get. The Sacramento Kings are DESPERATE to move him. It is beyond clear they do not want him. They had plenty of talks with the Lakers about sending Buddy there, but it is likely it died after Russell Westbrook went to the Lakers (and it is likely the Lakers are out of assets to trade). And there are several teams the Kings have likely talked to. The Kings have drafted guards the last two years in a row (Halliburton and Mitchell) and they locked up De’Aaron Fox to a max contract last year.
Hield brings great 3pt shooting at a high volume. His ball-handling as well as his ability to be a good catch and shoot player are also note worthy. His defense is rather hit-or-miss, but he could rebound from the slump. Only thing I can conceivably think why the Pelicans don’t want to trade for him is because they want Kira to get a lot of playing time. And by “they” I mean David Griffin. I’m like 99.99% sure Griffin is in Cloud 9 about how he’s hit on every pick, no misses, and he wants Kira to get minutes. Or hell, start. Should the Pelicans get Hield, it likely means Kira won’t start and probably won’t get many minutes. DeVonte’ will likely get the sixth man slot, because he’s more developed and a better player right now than Kira. David Griffin has that Jimmy Haslam stench in that he thinks he’s flawless and drafted a great team, but doesn’t produce the results. Fortunately, he ain’t an owner like Haslam is.
I think getting Buddy would do well for this team a lot in terms of the shooting as it would have better consistency, and the scoring would be insane. It would also complete the overhaul of the backcourt. I also think we could get him for a really good bargain. But then again, so would a lot of teams because the Kings are desperate. I mean here’s a representation of the Kings front office:
Case for Lauri Markkanen:
I can probably case Twitter for the Pelicans to add a stretch big for Zion. Well here is your chance. There have been multiple reports from the likes of Woj, Shams, and Marc Stein saying that Lauri wants out of Chicago. And I can see that. Chicago without Michael Jordan are a bigger mess than the Knicks. And right now, Chicago is going a different route, and it looks like Markkanen is going to get a much smaller role than he’s had in previous years. I think he low key wants it given his lack of durability, but it might be more clear that he’s done with Chicago’s front office. The Pelicans have been linked to nabbing him, but apparently Chicago wants a first round pick. But it was clear what should’ve happened. Markkanen should have been included in the Lonzo Ball trade. It would have fit pretty well, and they could have found another way to get Garrett Temple because apparently the Pels wanted him, and they would not have had to deal with Tomas and his contract. But alas. Should the Pelicans pick up the phone again, they could give the Bulls a first, but they would also have to give Markkanen a considerable deal and a defined role. I have no idea if he’ll be one of the several rotating centers for the Pelicans since they haven’t and likely won’t extend Valancuinas, or if he’ll just be the backup and let Hayes surpass him as starter, but role matters and figuring that out is a priority.
Markkanen does bring good three point shooting. It may be only at around 36%, but that’s fairly respectable. You do want your three point shooters to be sitting around 36-40% from three, your great 3pt shooters to be from 40-44%, and anything above that is Steph Curry, JJ Redick and Damian Lillard levels. He also brings good size at 7’0”, and able to play the 4 or 5. He would do great for spacing. Markkanen is also a pretty good catch-and-shoot player, off-dribble, and spot-up shooter. Just look at these stats:
He’s got skill, and would serve well as a role player. While defensively, he could be better. He does a better job defending those behind the arc than at the rim.
I honestly think the Pels might be a bit scared in trading for him, and honestly believe that their window to getting him has been closed for now. If they wanted him, they should have tried harder when the Bulls wanted Lonzo. However, if they pull it off it would help the spacing of the team. I’m often reminded how he could be similar to when they got Nikola Mirotic from the Bulls and it paid off nicely. Maybe same result?
Verdict?
It’s kinda hard to pick a clear player, one is easier to get but kinda crowds the backcourt, the other is a touch more challenging, but would help improve the front court with the spacing. I’m kinda torn. There might be a way to get both but who knows if they do it. They might just get neither and settle for someone else. Thoughts?