The New Orleans Pelicans are one of the young teams that are expected to be active on the trade market this summer. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram may have blossomed into All-Star caliber players, but their performance in the 2020-21 NBA season proved that they need more star power on their roster to have a realistic chance of fully dominating the Western Conference and winning the NBA championship title.
One of the most intriguing trade targets for the Pelicans in the 2021 offseason is De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings.
De’Aaron Fox To New Orleans Pelicans
In a recent article, Greg Patuto of NBA Analysis Network came up with a hypothetical blockbuster trade idea that would enable the Pelicans to acquire Fox from the Kings this summer. In the proposed trade scenario, the Pelicans would be sending a package that includes Kira Lewis Jr., Eric Bledsoe, Jaxson Hayes, the No. 10 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2022 first-round pick, and a 2023 first-round pick.
If the trade becomes a reality, Patuto believes that it would help both teams in filling up the needs to improve on their roster.
Pelicans Get A Borderline All-Star As New Starting PG
The proposed trade deal would make a lot of sense for the Pelicans, especially if they fail to reach an agreement regarding a new contract with Lonzo Ball in the 2021 free agency. While dumping Bledsoe to Sacramento, the suggested trade would allow them to replace Ball with another young point guard with huge All-Star potential in Fox.
Fox may not be as good as Ball on the defensive end of the floor but statistics-wise, he’s a much better scorer and playmaker than the former No. 2 pick. This season, Fox averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Proposed Trade Would Benefit De’Aaron Fox
Fox may not have shown any sign that he’s no longer happy with the Kings, but he would definitely be intrigued by the idea of being traded to the Pelicans. Though they are both young teams, the Pelicans and the Kings aren’t taking an identical path. While the Kings are in the middle of a slow rebuild, the Pelicans are already eyeing to contend for the NBA championship title next season.
Though it would require him to make certain adjustments with his game, joining forces with Williamson and Ingram in New Orleans would give Fox a realistic chance of reaching the playoffs in the 2021-22 NBA season.
Why The Kings Would Make The Trade
Meanwhile, Patuto thinks that the proposed blockbuster trade would be worth exploring for the Kings if they plan to undergo another full-scale rebuild with Tyrese Haliburton as their centerpiece. By sending Fox to New Orleans, they would be getting two young and promising talents in Lewis Jr. and Hayes and three first-round selections that could help them speed up the rebuilding process.
Lewis Jr. and Hayes could join Haliburton and form the core of the next title-contending team that the Kings would try to build in Sacramento.
