When they parted ways with the face of the franchise, Anthony Davis, in the 2019 NBA offseason, most people believe that the New Orleans Pelicans would undergo a full-scale rebuild. The Pelicans acquired a generational talent, Zion Williamson, in the 2019 NBA Draft and received three young players – Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart – from the Los Angeles Lakers in the Davis blockbuster deal. However, with their decision to keep Jrue Holiday and sign the likes of J.J. Redick and Derrick Favors in the 2019 NBA free agency, the Pelicans don’t seem fully committed to taking a different route.
If the Pelicans intend to remain competitive in the deep Western Conference, they will likely seek a major roster upgrade before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. According to Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report , the Pelicans would be a “natural trade partner” for the Washington Wizards if they finally decide to break the backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal.
“The Pelicans are a natural trade partner for the Wizards. They have a treasure trove of young talent and draft picks stemming from the Anthony Davis deal and should be motivated to make the playoffs with veterans Jrue Holiday, JJ Redick and Derrick Favors. Getting Beal would push them from fun offseason story to serious contender for home-court advantage, especially when factoring in Zion Williamson, Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Nicolo Melli. He and Holiday would become one of the NBA’s best backcourts while taking a ton of pressure off Williamson, who would no longer need to be an offensive focal point right away.”
In the proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report , the Pelicans would be sending a trade package including Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, E’Twaun Moore, a 2020 first-round pick, and a 2021 first-round pick to the Wizards in exchange for Bradley Beal. The deal works on ESPN ‘s NBA Trade Machine.
Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard talks with @bradbotkincbs and shares his thoughts on Bradley Beal’s future with the team https://t.co/OGO8523gUW pic.twitter.com/bomi2Zgpl5
— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) September 10, 2019
Bradley Beal won’t make the Pelicans an instant title contender but adding him to the core of Jrue Holiday, J.J. Redick, Zion Williamson, and Derrick Favors would definitely make New Orleans a team to watch out for in the deep Western Conference next season. Beal would give the Pelicans a very reliable option on the offensive end of the floor. Last season, Beal averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from beyond the arc. At 26, Beal still fits the timeline of Williamson, who is expected to replace Davis as the face of the Pelicans’ franchise.
The deal would not only be beneficial for the Pelicans, but also for the Wizards. In exchange for Bradley Beal, the Wizards would be acquiring two young players with huge superstar potential – Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball – and two first-round picks that would enable them to speed up the rebuilding process. Aside from the Pelicans, another team who could express interest in trading for Beal is the Miami Heat. According to a previous The Inquisitr article, the Heat may be willing to absorb the injured John Wall and his lucrative contract in the potential deal that would send Beal to Miami.
