The New Orleans Pelicans made a number of trades last offseason and now names like Eric Gordon, Austin Rivers, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday or Ryan Anderson could be traded this summer after the team acquired Omer Asik and also signed both Jimmer Fredette and Patric Young to support Anthony Davis on the roster.
The Pelicans aren't looking to trade all of those players obviously, but last season's experiment of Evans, Holiday and Rivers along with Gordon did not work out as planned and now the team could look at deals to clear some space moving forward. According to ESPN.com, the team nearly got rid of Rivers as they were trying to close the Asik deal, as the salary cap situation almost got that deal to fall apart and this comes as he has not played up to expectations since being a top 10 draft pick.
Zach Lowe write for Grantland.com that Rivers has not been the player that the Pelicans expected since drafting him in the top 10 with Anthony Davis and that could lead to a deal this season. The team has gotten plenty of interest over the past year on Gordon, but so far they have been unwilling to trade him. ESPN.com also reported that the LA Clippers were looking into Ryan Anderson this summer, but a deal did not go down and they signed Spencer Hawes instead.
Gordon has been a trade target for some time and while the Pelicans likely do not want to move him, there is a chance a team could blow their socks off with a deal offer. Last year he dealt with some injuries and that has been the knock on him in the past and he averaged 15.4 points last season along with three assists per game. Anthony Davis needs as much support as he can get and while Gordon is a very talented player, the Pelicans could get some solid pieces for him if the right deal comes along. Gordon has had knee issues and if those come up again that could be a problem for the Pelicans going ahead long term.
The Pelicans made some free agent moves this offseason, signing Jimmer Fredette to help replace Anthony Morrow after the Bulls and Kings did not want him back. Fredette has not had much success in the league so far, but he could have a chance to be an impact player and spot shooter in New Orleans. Last season he averaged just 5.6 points, but he shot over 45 percent from the field and if he can keep that up over 40, he will be a valuable option off the bench.
Last season the Pelicans were expecting some major improvements after trading for Holiday and Evans, but they did not show on the court and one reason is because New Orleans is in the very tough western conference. The team went just 34-28 and while they were better than the year before, the lack of progress in some areas is an issue going forward. The team ranked 18th in points per game and 19th in points allowed and they need to work on both of those areas this season.
