The Pelicans spent the weekend trying to trade Nikola Mirotic, Julius Randle and E’Twaun Moore in exchange for draft picks, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his weekly podcast (hat tip to Andrew Lopez of The Times-Picayune).
“Over the weekend, I had heard from two separate teams that Mirotic, Randle and Moore had all been made available for picks,” Lowe said. “New Orleans is known for perhaps playing some misdirection, so teams didn’t know what to think of this. One team made of it, their guess and/or impression was, New Orleans was trying to get picks that it then flips for a big, big piece in a save-the-season trade.”
The other team told Lowe it also wasn’t sure how to interpret the Pelicans’ move and speculated that they might be giving up on this season and trying to build for the future. New Orleans is 13th in the East with a 22-28 record and is five and a half games out of a playoff spot.
Mirotic, who was acquired from the Bulls last season, will be a free agent in July and will be seeking a raise on his $12.5MM salary. Randle, who signed with the team over the summer, has a player option for next season worth a little more than $9MM. Moore is in his third season with the Pelicans and has one year left on his current contract at nearly $8.67MM.
New Orleans is trying to plan for the future without star big man Anthony Davis, who informed the team over the weekend that he won’t sign an extension this summer and wants to be traded.
The Pels play in the West…
Davis being fined $50,000 is like a person that makes $100,000 a year being fined $196.
MKG and a 2nd for Mirotic. Saves Charlotte salary, temporarily pairs AD with a former Kentucky teammate, gets NOLA a pick, adds shooting to Charlotte, gives Miles Bridges more playing time.
Does NOLA get to write the trade off as charity?
They would need to give up a 1st or multiple 2nds or take on hills contract
NO needs wings and could use the Kentucky connection to their advantage
Dude.
Lol nobody wants MKG. He’s a 5 man in a wings body.
I hate to say it, I like NO, but I’m glad this is happening!!! Lebron on the Lakers means more AD games on tv in my area. He’s right, he doesn’t get enough exposure in NO. Outside of us nba wonks, AD is not as well known as he should be. He’s the most spectacular player most people have barely seen.
You could say the same about Giannis though
Giannis isn’t ready for all that pressure yet. He isn’t even the closer for his team(Middleton is) and him going to a big market team will expose him. Great player though and if he gets a jumper will be the best player in the league.
If the Sixers can’t come to terms for Taurean Prince and Dewayne Dedmon Sixers need to get in on Mirotic – 2019 or 2020 1st (if the kings get #1 overall, that ain’t going for Mirotic).
Something like…
Chandler + 2019/2020 1st for Mirotic & Wes Johnson
Patton, Amir, Korkmaz + a future 1st & 2nd for Prince & Dedmon
I’m okay if the plan is to wait for BO and they landed Dedmon anyway or Zach Randolph. But what 3 & D wing player is going to be available on the BO market? Ariza, idk Washington seems content with being trash.
Ariza and Wesley Matthews are the only guys I can think of as a 3-D buyout
idk to me it seems like things are out of whack in the NBA right now … the salaries … the basically non position basketball… agents and star players basically having all the power.
They’re so many great players right. Ow and so much movement it’s exciting, plus east is starting to revive – good time to be a bball fanboy
Trade for Anthony Davis and Julius Randle for whoever and whatever they want! lol
Rockets could really use mirotic. Would have to think knight and a 1st would get it done
They sure could. Mirotic is what Morey wanted from Aryana anderson for years, only he ended up getting the washed version of Anderson.
Collect picks for one big acquisition? Painfully thin roster as it is. But certainly they should collect the picks for these guys if the can.
I’m pretty sure that Mirotic would be attractive to any playoff team without cap space this summer. Houston might give up their 2019 1st, 2020 & 2o22 2nds and Knight.
Knight < Mirotic, and those picks will be very low, probably not worth much.
Mirotic on the Sixers might make a lot of sense.
So I tuned in to see these guys, Mirotic Randle Moore, and all I’m seeing is Jahlil Okafor. Jah’s in the sunshine now, clouds dispersed, with those guys and Davis gone as well as Capella. CP3 might as well be. Pelicans are flapping hard but they will surely tire.