NLL Insider - Team by Team: New Orleans Pelicansby Nenjabin, updated on Wednesday, October 14 2015, 05:08 pm EST 2014-15 Finish: 39-43
Yes, they gave up the best player in the trade, and two 1sts while receiving one, but this move could be the catapult that launches the Pelicans out of mediocrity. Trey Burke is young, like Bledsoe, and while not yet as prolific as Eric, he can cover him largely on the court. They cleared a large chunk of cap (even if they bring back Jerebko), both guys they packaged with Bledsoe are no longer in the NLL and the two 1sts they gave up are likely to be outside the lottery, and were miles away in the distant future. The #3 pick, projected #1 at the time, is here in the now in Jahlil Okafor and only bolsters their roster, particularly if Pek continues to miss time. They did a good job of moving their star but ticking all boxes.
Welp…you can’t help but have Homer Simpson’s voice ringing through your head a little when you look at this deal, particularly in hindsight, and hear “It’s my first day.†(from the episode where he’s the submarine commander). GM Blackmajestic got a bit of a rude awakening to the NLL in making this deal, days out from the start of free agency, acquiring a passable NBA role playing big man who, let’s face it, is pretty much just a shooter…which translates horribly to a league where your big men need to be able to play D, run, jump and rebound. Unfortunately, Terrence Jones also realised he could do all of those things, most at the same time and in a coordinated manner and became a starter type player. Throw in Khris Middleton also securing a starting role and busting out and you have a whole lot of ouch.
On
paper for a team starved of a C this deal looked solid with Dragic a UFA and
likely to do a runner, also at an un-needed position (Bledsoe), for a decent C
locked up long term. Pek decided he’d sit this one out though. Bounce back
chunky. Winning!
AK47 promptly got injured, left the league and retired. While
Ariza was a Sign and Trade, so had to be moved, this is when attempted rookie
GM fleecing of their pick goes wrong…when they make the damn playoffs! Deal
looked rock solid al season and the pick turned into Kaminsky…who is out-sky
and in this writers opinion, yuck-sky. Wait,
you just undid your good AK47 work! So
DeMarre had a cracker season and is set to keep on the upward trajectory, so
what? He was a reserve in NO and he’s now commanding $15.6 mil, plus he’d have
to have spent all his GMs to keep him. Zeller and Nog are young, cheap and
solid. But they’re no Carroll. Ok so Knight commanded a payday, but LOL Tristan Thompson. Crawford on the downward, while Kyle is Mr. Reliable, and Hardaway is meh…and Hawes. But he avoided TT and his massive….ego. Pelicans
Receive: Josh McRoberts, E’twaun Moore and Boston 2016 1st. Sooooo…They
traded Terrence Jones, Khris Middleton and a 2nd for Josh McRoberts,
E’twaun Moore and a likely late 2016 1st…I guess they saved about
$12mil in cap and…. ?
Arguably
Bledsoe was still their star. He played 61 of their games and averaged 20.1ppg,
only 2 points a game less than Trey Burke…but Burke only played 17 games and
they were 5-8 in those games…while being 32-29 in Bledsoe’s games. Burke did
finish the season strong though in the absence of Brandon Knight, carrying the
load with 22.6 points per game and 6.6 assists, but it was Bledsoe that put
them in the position to make the playoffs. I’d like to say Pek playing 24 games…but it’s Pek. TT was huge in New Orleans with his averages jumping to 17 points and 13.5 boards, and it’s probably why he’s in a stalemate with Indiana over re-signing. The Pels simply didn’t have many games played out of their current roster, hence the awards here going to guys that are gone. Tarik Black gets and honourable mention for averaging 6 points and 5 boards as an unknown FA signing.
It’s not Ryan’s fault who he was brought in for, but his results have to be compared. He was making $8.5mil compared to Jones’ and Middleton’s approx. $3mil, while putting up 9 points and 7 boards in 34mins. He played his way back out of town in exchange for a cheaper clone in Josh McRoberts.
Jonas Jerebko – Jerebko was a $4.5mil cap relief when acquired last season, but he revitalised his career somewhat in the feeder league and might be worth keeping around for a modest sum of $5mil if the Pels decide they need the big man depth. They won’t lose sleep if he walks. Justin Holiday – Holiday has shown some promise but sceams of someone who is destined to hang around and never quite make it. He’ll be hanging around elsewhere next season most likely. Landry Fields – Fields is a UFA and he’ll be gonesky. Andre Dawkins – Yeah he’s not hanging around either.
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