When he was selected as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, former Duke Blue Devils shooting guard was viewed as one of the young players who would lead the New York Knicks back to title contention. Though the Knicks are yet to end their title drought, Barrett continues to live up to expectations from a lottery pick. This season, he's posting impressive numbers, averaging 17.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from beyond the arc.
However, despite his impressive performance, Barrett's name still continues to surface in various trade speculations.
RJ Barrett To New Orleans Pelicans
One of the teams that are being linked to Barrett is the New Orleans Pelicans. In an article, Jack Simone of Fansided's Hoops Habit came up with a hypothetical blockbuster trade idea that would enable the Pelicans to acquire Barrett from the Knicks before the 2022 NBA trade deadline. In the proposed trade scenario, the Pelicans would be sending and Jonas Valanciunas to the Knicks for a trade package that includes Barrett, Evan Fournier, Mitchell Robinson, Quentin Grimes, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2022 second-round pick.
RJ Barrett Reunites With Zion Williamson In New Orleans
Trading Ingram would be a very difficult decision for the Pelicans, but it might be worth it if it means keeping Zion Williamson happy in New Orleans. The proposed blockbuster deal with the Knicks would allow the Pelicans to reunite Williamson with his college teammate, Barrett. Williamson and Barrett played one season for the Duke Blue Devils before they both entered the NBA in 2019.
During their college days, Williamson revealed in a past interview that he and Barrett have talked about playing together in one NBA team.
Pelicans Get More Interesting Pieces
Barrett isn't the only player that the Pelicans would receive from trading Ingram and Valanciunas to the Knicks. Aside from reuniting Barrett with Williamson, the Pelicans would also be adding players who would be part of their long-term future. Robinson would serve as an immediate replacement for Valanciunas at the Pelicans' starting center position.
He may not be as good as Valanciunas right now, but he has huge potential and perfectly fits the timeline of Williamson. Grimes would give the Pelicans another talented wingman, while the future draft picks could be used to add more young and promising prospects to their roster.
Proposed Trade A No-Brainer For Knicks
Though it would cost them Barrett and other precious trade assets, the proposed blockbuster deal should be a no-brainer for the Knicks. The potential acquisition of Ingram and Valanciunas may not make them an instant title contender in the Eastern Conference, but it would give them a realistic chance of reaching the playoffs in the 2021-22 NBA season. Ingram and Valanciunas would be a major improvement over Barrett and Robinson in the Knicks' starting lineup.
Ingram would give the Pelicans a very reliable scorer, on-court facilitator, and floor-spacer, while Valanciunas would provide the Knicks with a more durable center and dominant force under the basket.
]]>The Inquisitr
