The New Orleans Pelicans got guard C.J McCollum from Porter to lead the Trail Blazers to make the biggest trade before the deadline, but their trade may not be over yet. The Pelicans sent out Josh Hart, Nick Alexander Walker, Diddy Luzada, Thomas Satoransky, one 2022 first-round pick and two future second-round picks in the trade, where they lost two major rotation players in exchange for McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. (injured) and Tony Snell (not a good player). While the deal strengthens the Pelicans' starting lineup strength and makes them a future playoff-level team, in the short term (at least until Nance Jr. returns), the Pelicans are a bit short of manpower, meaning another deal could be just around the corner.
The Pelicans sent in a starting lineup of Derwent Graham, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Jaxon Hayes and Jonas Valansunas in yesterday's game, while new signings Hart and Alexander Walker watched the game in the stands.
After the deal is completed, the Pelicans' starting lineup should be as follows:
Point Guard - McCollum
Quarterback – Ingram
Small forward – Herb Jones
Big forward – Jaxon Hayes
Center – Valanciunas
The Pelicans certainly have other options, such as having Graham and McCollum in the starting lineup at the same time, posing for a more traditional backcourt and lineup configuration.
Point Guard – Graham
Quarterback – McCollum
Big forward – Ingram
Personally, Xiaobian prefers the first lineup, which changes Graham to the sixth man position, because Xiaobian feels that this role is more suitable for him. In addition, the Pelicans are only On the bench by Jose Alvarado, Larry Nance Jr. (injured), Garrett Temple, Gary Clarke, Tony Snell, Hernan Gomez, plus one of Graham and Hayes. Obviously, with the strength of the bench, the Pelicans have to play for a long time if they want to win the game, and even if Graham or Hayes will maintain a high level of play on the bench, the Pelicans' depth problems still exist.
With less than a day to go until the trade deadline, the Pelicans still have some ways to add more players until then, and they may join a third team in their deal with the Portland Trail Blazers and try to send more draft picks to other teams in exchange for a player with immediate combat.
While it seems difficult at the moment, we should note that teams like the Detroit Pistons, who have traded rumours throughout the season, are intent on sending away Jerami Grant and several veterans, including Kelly Olynyk, and the Pelicans still have plenty of draft picks and tradable players. The Pelicans appear to be ready for the future after getting McCollum, but the Pelicans still lack quality lineup depth until Nance Jr. returns, so another trade may be needed.