How bad has this season been for the New Orleans Pelicans?
So bad that when a report came out Friday that the Pelicans have shown interest in trading for Memphis Grizzlies’ guard Ja Morant, it was enough to make some people say, “Hey, the way things are going, that might not be a bad idea.”
Confession: I’m one of those people.
Although not completely sold on the idea, there is a path to sway me.
If, and only if, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars can find the type of deal you find in the clearance bin at a Dollar General.
NBA Insider Michael Scotto reported Friday that the Pelicans were one of the teams showing interest in Morant, whose time in Memphis is clearly nearing the end. The other teams showing interest in Morant, according to the report, are the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, and Toronto Raptors.
It’s unclear how strong the Pelicans’ interest (if any) has been for Morant, who has two years and a little over $80 million left on his contract.
My initial reaction was “Heck no. Nope, not worth the risk.”
Then I watched Friday night as the Pelicans lost to the Indiana Pacers, the only NBA team with fewer wins than the Pels entering the game.
The Pelicans are 10-34 heading into Sunday’s road game against the Houston Rockets. The Pels are on pace to finish with a worse record than last year, when they finished 21-61, the second fewest wins in an 82-game season in franchise history.
The remaining 38 games will likely follow a familiar script as the first 44.
Plenty of sharp-shooting nights from Trey Murphy.
An unstoppable game from Zion Williamson, scoring at will here and there.
A Derik Queen triple-double thrown in from time to time to remind you how good his future could be.
A performance by Saddiq Bey that makes you appreciate how he comes to work every single game.
More often than not, those stellar performances will end up resulting in a loss.
The Pelicans have won just 31 games since the start of last season.
There is a segment of the fanbase that has accepted the growing pains and is focusing on building for the future around young, promising pieces like Queen and Jeremiah Fears.
Others have completely checked out, as evidenced by the many empty seats often seen at the Smoothie King Center.
One way to get fans back in and get butts back in the seats would be acquiring a player with Morant’s star power. The stardom may not be what it was in his first few seasons in the league, but it’s still there.
I’m not sure how long the buzz would last, but the first wave would have the arena rocking like it was the night Williamson played his very first game for the Pelicans six years ago.
The concerns, though, are the headaches that could come with the star.
Morant’s off-the-court issues, including suspensions and fines for flashing guns on Instagram Live, have raised red flags that the Pelicans try to avoid.
His availability since the Grizzlies drafted him one pick after the Pelicans drafted Williamson in the 2019 draft could be a deal breaker. Morant has played in just 79 games since the start of the 2023-24 season. The most games he’s played in a season is 67, his rookie year.
And who knows how he would jell in the locker room and on the court with the current roster. The Pelicans have a close-knit group that doesn’t need to be disrupted. Maybe it helps that Morant has a connection with Williamson. The two of them were AAU teammates in South Carolina.
Perhaps this could be a fresh start for both Morant and the Pelicans.
Morant, a second-team All-NBA player in his third season and a two-time All-Star, has averaged 22.4 points and 7.4 assists in his career.
Obviously, there is not enough room on the roster for Morant, rookie Jeremiah Fears, Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray. Fears, a starter, isn’t going anywhere. Murray hasn’t returned from his torn Achilles injury. And Poole, the second-highest-paid player on the Pelicans’ payroll, comes off the bench. If Dumars could get Morant for Poole or Murray, he’d have to strongly consider it.
There will likely be other offers out there for Dumars to consider as the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches. With no first-round draft pick this year, something has to be done.
Morant is risky. The cons may even outweigh the pros. But given the way things are going, it’s worth thinking about it.
What is there to lose?
Well, other than more games.