Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA: The Best 2016 Free Agent For Every Team

By Ryan Blackburn

May 1, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of the Air Canada Centre prior to Indiana Pacers playing Toronto Raptors in game seven of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
May 1, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of the Air Canada Centre prior to Indiana Pacers playing Toronto Raptors in game seven of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
20 of 31
Next
Feb 27, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon (10) shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves forward Shabazz Muhammad (15) and guard Zach LaVine (8) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Pelicans 112-110. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon (10) shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves forward Shabazz Muhammad (15) and guard Zach LaVine (8) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Pelicans 112-110. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

New Orleans Pelicans – Eric Gordon

The New Orleans Pelicans are in a delicate situation. On paper, they have many of the pieces necessary to compete for the playoff spot it earned in the 2014-15 season, but outside of Anthony Davis, the team underperformed massively.

One of those members was Eric Gordon. He played for a fair amount of the season, shooting a high three-point percentage while he did, but like every other member of the team, he got injured. He’s had many injury issues in the past and doesn’t come across as a top priority to bring back.

Interestingly, he’s exactly what the team needs: spacing and relief for the superstar to operate inside. Jrue Holiday should come back as the starting point guard next year, and Tyreke Evans projects as the best option at small forward, but neither of those players spaces the floor quite like Gordon does. With an elite three-point shooter on the roster, the rest of the team should be able to work its way around the combination of Davis and Gordon.

Normally, a player like Ryan Anderson would be the top priority, but that won’t be the case. New Orleans can’t afford to pay two max contracts to players who play best at power forward, even though Anderson operates offensively like a true shooting guard. There’s also the question of the draft, as two shooters in Buddy Hield and Jamal Murray might be better to pair with Davis long term.

In the end, Gordon is still the ideal target for the Pelicans. They may even pay a discount due to Gordon’s injury history.

Next: New York Knicks