Should the Pelicans trade for John Wall?
The Washington Wizards entered the 2018-19 NBA season with the goal of fully dominating the LeBron James-less Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, they struggled earlier this season despite having the explosive backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Wizards are determined to reshape the team and have made every player, including Wall and Beal, available for trade discussions.
According to Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer, one of the NBA teams who could express a strong interest in engaging in a blockbuster trade deal with the Wizards is the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite losing DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo in the recent free agency, the Pelicans are still considered as a legitimate playoff contender in the Western Conference. However, in order to make a deep playoff run and further convince Anthony Davis to stay long-term in New Orleans, the Pelicans should consider adding another superstar on the roster.
After failing to acquire Jimmy Butler, O’Connor suggested that the Pelicans should target Wizards star point guard John Wall. O’Connor believes that Wall and the Pelicans could be a match made in heaven.
“With Wall handling the ball, Holiday could go back to attacking and defending. Davis-Wall pick-and-rolls could devastate defenses. And, importantly, Davis and Wall not only are Kentucky alumni, they now share an agent in Rich Paul from Klutch Sports. Davis has never played with a playmaker as good as Wall, and Wall has never played with any player as good as Davis. If the Wizards want to pull the plug, and if the Pelicans want to take a risk, then maybe there’s a blockbuster trade to be made.”
In the proposed trade deal by The Ringer, the Pelicans will be sending Julius Randle, Frank Jackson, Solomon Hill, and two future first-round picks to the Wizards for John Wall. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine and has the potential to be beneficial for both the Pelicans and the Wizards.
In exchange for John Wall, the Wizards will be acquiring players that can help them remain competitive in the Eastern Conference, while the two future first-round picks will enable them to add young and promising talents on their roster. Moving out of the shadow of Wall could further help Bradley Beal develop into a legitimate NBA superstar in the league.
Meanwhile, the potential acquisition of John Wall will potentially give the Pelicans a higher chance of beating Western Conference powerhouse teams like the reigning NBA champions Golden State Warriors in a best-of-seven series. However, the Pelicans should prepare themselves to be buried deep in luxury tax hell when Wall’s massive contract extension starts to kick in next season.
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