Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a short stint in New Orleans
Despite executing some stunning upsets of top teams this season, the New Orleans Pelicans know this year is not part of their immediate contention window. And so they shipped 29 year old wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kevin Huerter and the Phoenix Suns 2034 2nd round pick.
NAW was trained as a 3 point sniper during his time in the bayou, establishing himself as a notable scoring presence while playing surprisingly solid on-ball defense. The 29 year old is one of the CSL's best contracts for the next two seasons, and projects to immediately step in as a starting upgrade over Christian Braun at the SG spot.
This will be the only time you see a pic of Kevin Huerter
As for Kevin Huerter, he's the same age, same salary, and also has 3 point shooting. But that's where the similarities end, and he's so terrible defensively, he'll never play a minute and the front office hopes he declines his PO for next season and heads off to free agency.
The Larger Picture
This move signals the Pelicans' recognition their contending window isn't this season. Especially if Mark Williams is traded along with Moses Brown and the center position is left literally empty. Instead, 2034 and 2035 seem more likely candidates, as the most recent moves have upgraded their defense, but once again pinned the scoring duties on Jayson Tatum.
The Draft Stockpile
New Orleans 2034 1st
Orlando Magic 2034 1st
Los Angeles Clippers 2034 2nd
Phoenix Suns 2034 2nd
New Orleans 2035 1st
Orlando Magic 2035 1st
New Orleans 2036 1st
No worries if you can't keep track of the team's draft picks situation. They're notorious for flipping picks - especially 2nd rounders and late 1sts - to address weaknesses and move around on Draft Nights. Even after all the kerfuffle this season, however, they still hold 7 picks in the next 3 drafts - 5 firsts and 2 seconds. That's a lot of weaponry to reload once any Tatum contention window closes.
The Roster
Point Guards
Coby White (28)
The counting stats don't show it, but his +3.7 ON was better than the departing Tyrese Maxey's, and only Mark Williams is better in NET (+8.7 for White, +9.0 for MWill). Paired with an attractive, controlled cost multi-year deal that buys out his prime years, White's value as an elite floor general with strong defense who stays within his role means he's highly unlikely to ever be moved, despite some teams expressing interest in acquiring him.
J.D. Davison (22 - Incoming)
Already as good a passer as White, and starter-quality handling. Untested at the CSL level and needs to grow into his defense, but he's clearly patterned his game after the likes of White and Jaylen Adams, and a probable long-term fixture as the future starting point guard.
Scotty Pippen, Jr. (21)
The rookie's rawness shows, but he's already hitting 39.3% of his 3 pointers and is displaying excellent defense. His 29.7% Assist Percentage is tops on the team as well. Likely shifts over to SG once the trades happen, with Davison running the point for the second unit. And SG is likely SPJ's ultimate position, where he becomes a 3&D secondary playmaker. The usage rate (24.2%) is exactly in line with Maxey's (24.6%), so he might well blossom into a bigger scorer than it currently appears.
Shooting Guards
Jayson Tatum (30)
The MVP candidate is of course playing SF, and he'll probably stay there even after Cam Reddish arrives, given Tatum's better rebounding and Reddish's better passing and handling. No one has inquired about his services to date, but New Orleans Pelicans fans don't mind - he's been the most exciting player in the Big Easy since Anthony Davis.
Small Forwards
Aaron Wiggins (28)
Played his way back into the rotation and was part of a positive bench lineup forming. He is what he is - the defensive specialist version of White - locked in on a multiyear, controlled cost contract that's remarkably team-friendly. An excellent security blanket who has gotten a little lost in the shuffle.
Cedric Henderson Jr. (23)
It's funny - when you look at the individual stats, you see the rookie who had a lot of preseason hype and buzz as the first booster is actually outlaying Wiggins - but his team stats are poor. Part of that is attributable to his being forced to play SG early in the season, but expect him to continue to rotate with Wiggins in the contestation for the backup SF role.
Donovan Williams (20)
Slow developer who has gotten a few garbage minutes in the G-League because the depth chart naming him a starter got reset, and the Pelicans never got around to re-updating it.
Cam Reddish - (27) Incoming
How he'll play in the Pelicans' molasses offense no one knows, but he's the ultimate three-position chess piece that opens up a lot of strategies if Doc Rivers can figure out how to maximize him.
Kevin Huerter (29)
Covered above.
Power Forward
Olivier-Maxence Prosper (22)
He's very quietly made big strides in his shooting this sophomore campaign and continues to be an excellent team fit whenever he's pressed into the starting lineup, a primary bench scorer when not. That will probably continue to be OMP's role in New Orleans: an unsung backup forward who gets spot starts without the team getting worse when injuries happen.
Centers
Asbjorn Midtgaard (25)
Fans fixate on the contract and how the counting stats don't support the money, but his +8.5 ON is the highest on the team and his TS% is the best on the roster. And there's a reason why several teams have called to inquire about him and why the Miami Herald calls him the most underrated player in the league. Does seem to play better at PF in the Pelicans' setup than CE.
Mark Williams (23)
The much-discussed trade rumors aren't going away anytime soon - the front office loves his defensive wall and are haunted by the Tree Rollins deal that probably prevented the GAH Knicks from winning a title despite multiple Finals trips. But the temptation to acquire a running mate for Tatum is quite strong, as it could very well push New Orleans into contention next season after they patch up their resulting big man holes.
Moses Brown (25)
Topsy-turvy fortunes, going from bench to starter to bench to buried, and now back to bench. His shooting is improving after a rough start, as is his defense, and he still has fans in organizations around the CSL. But as of right now, his most attractive aspect for a lot of teams is his expiring contract, which would presumably be paired with MWill to get the last star contention piece if it happens.
Three Year Outlook
Assuming no other major shifts, 2035 will be the last year of the Tatum Period. And the 2036 offseason could see everyone but SPJ, Reddish and MWill hitting free agency, with a pocket full of rookie contracts and a lot of cap room to splash to re-sign OMP and potentially completely remake the roster with one or two max contract slots available, presumably coming off a winning season if things go according to plan. That might be where the true contention window begins - that summer of 2036.
