5 potential trade ideas for the New Orleans Pelicans

1. Charlotte Hornets

If the Pelicans want to make sure they are as competitive as possible this season, this is the trade they need to make. Picking up the phone to call the Charlotte Hornets for this deal could also help ensure Anthony Davis feels the team is doing all it can to surround him with pieces to win.

The loss of Randle would hurt New Orleans’ offense slightly, but it would be made up and then some by bringing in Kemba Walker. He would be the second scoring option, and on many nights could bolster the bulk of offensive responsibility, allowing Davis or Holiday to focus on defensive effort.

The addition of Nicolas Batum gives them a balanced swingman who can take on a much-needed and important role at the small forward position, especially after sending out Hill and Wesley Johnson in this trade. Batum is still a decent player in the league, but this is often overshadowed by his monster contract, thanks to the summer of 2016.

On the surface, this trade looks like it would strip the Pelicans of some depth. However, when you look at the names outside of Randle, they honestly may be better off packaging those players into two starters and then signing two more minimum players. The trade would be costly in terms of assets, though.

Charlotte would be able to create some cap flexibility moving forward and would receive picks in return if it finally committed to moving Walker. The 2019 pick from New Orleans would likely need to be unprotected, but protecting the future pick would be a smart move for the Pelicans. If things went awry, and their pick down the road was looking better than expected, they could try to have this asset conveyed into multiple seconds or a much later first.

This would be tough to pull off, only because Charlotte may remain hesitant on moving Kemba. If the Hornets show any signs of willingness though, the New Orleans Pelicans should be ready to be the first caller.