Pelicans: Players (Contracts) Likely To Be Moved This Summer

Alexis Ajinca

Alexis Ajinca is another guy the Pelicans were rumored to want to move at this year’s trade deadline.

Ajinca is an energy player off the bench who, as of late, has maximized his limited opportunities. He’s a big-body defensive player who blocks shots and can step out and hit the 15-footer on the offensive end.

New Orleans Pelicans

He’s at his best without the ball in his hands on offense as the guy on the receiving end of good playmaking.

His numbers won’t jump out as it’s the energy that he brings to both ends of the court that has become his most valuable trait.

Since the All-Star break, Ajinca posts a top-four offensive rating on the team with 105.7 and the best defensive rating with 94.2.

Unfortunately, Ajinca has been caught up in the numbers game all season and with the addition of Cousins, his opportunities have remained limited.

Ajinca is playing 14 minutes per game on the season and only 10.5 minutes per after the All-Star break.

Alexis Ajinca is a big who can still provide value to a lot of teams looking for a guy who can protect the paint while proving energy off the bench. When you take into account his cap hit in 2017-18 at more than $5 million, he’ll likely be a candidate to be moved during the offseason.