NBA Rumors: Pelicans Willing To Trade 1st-Round Pick To Magic For Terrence Ross, Per ‘Sporting News’
Since the 2018 NBA offseason, the New Orleans Pelicans have been informing everyone in the league that they have no intention of moving the face of the franchise, Anthony Davis, before the February NBA trade deadline. They entered the 2018-19 NBA season with the goal of making a deep playoff run in the tougher Western Conference. However, to make a huge impact in the Western Conference and convince Davis to sign a contract extension next summer, the Pelicans should find ways to improve their current roster.
As of now, the Pelicans continue to be active on the trade market, searching for players that could complement Anthony Davis. According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Pelicans have expressed their willingness to part ways with a future first-round pick to address the issue on their wing. The Pelicans tried to acquire Kelly Oubre Jr. from the Washington Wizards but failed, and as of now, one of their top targets on the trade market is Terrence Ross of the Orlando Magic.
“One of the teams most eager to move its first-rounder along for immediate help is the Pelicans, who have won two straight games as they’ve gotten Elfrid Payton and Nikola Mirotic back from injury but are still desperate for small forward help. A source told SN that the Pels made a pitch for small forward Kelly Oubre before Washington traded him to Phoenix, and New Orleans has continued to look for a starting-quality wing. The Pelicans have shown interest in Orlando small forward Terrence Ross, who has had a career year, but is a free agent this summer and uncertain to re-sign with the Magic.”
Rumor: Pelicans interested in trade for Orlando’s Terrence Ross https://t.co/unTqUjoq6j
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) January 13, 2019
Terrence Ross is currently playing the best season in his NBA career. In 42 games, the 27-year-old shooting guard is averaging 13.6 points and 3.1 rebounds on 43.1 percent shooting from the field and 39.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Ross will undeniably be a great addition to the Pelicans, but as of now, Deveney revealed that the Magic have been reluctant in moving the veteran wingman.
Despite not having a legitimate NBA superstar on their roster, the Magic are still confident about their chances of earning a playoff spot in the LeBron James-less Eastern Conference. So far, the Magic are sitting in the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 10-24 record. However, if they find themselves out of the playoff picture before the February NBA trade deadline, the Magic may finally consider converting Terrence Ross’ expiring contract into future draft assets. On Twitter, Brandon Robinson of Scoop B revealed that the Pelicans are having a trade discussion that would send Solomon Hill and a 2019 top-12 protected first-round pick to the Magic for Terrence Ross.
