The Pelicans have traded fourth-year guard Kira Lewis Jr. and a 2024 second-round pick — the least favorable of New Orleans’ and Chicago’s second-rounders — to the Pacers in exchange for cash considerations, the two clubs confirmed in press releases.
Indiana waived James Johnson to create a roster spot for Lewis.
Lewis won’t be staying in Indiana. He’ll be part of the package heading to Toronto in the Pascal Siakam blockbuster. Lewis will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer if the Raptors give him a qualifying offer.
By trading Lewis’ $5.7MM contract, the Pelicans moved under the luxury tax line — they’d previously been over and have never paid the tax — so it’s a straightforward salary dump from their perspective.
A former lottery pick (13th overall in 2020), the 22-year-old was unable to carve out a regular spot in New Orleans’ rotation over the past two seasons after returning from a torn ACL in 2022/23. He has appeared in just 15 games this season for an average of 9.8 minutes per night.
The Pacers are acquiring Lewis using cap room, which means they’ll be able to immediately aggregate his salary in the Siakam trade. Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks will also be sent to the Raptors in that deal.
The Pelicans now have 13 players on standard contracts. Teams aren’t permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard deals for more than 14 days at a time, so they’ll have two weeks to re-add a 14th man.
Didn’t realize this guy had negative trade value considering his age and being on a rookie contract. Did the Pels sign someone recently for the roster spot?
Tax dodge
No money and roster spot really for Kira or the 2!nd rder next year on New Orleans
The Pelicans get under the luxury tax line and doing so will likely get about $15 mil from tax paying teams
Doesn’t some asset need to go to the Pelicans to complete this trade like a stash or a top-55-protected pick?
Nah cash considerations is good enough as an asset to be considered
Not when you have cap space