What to Expect from Pelicans in the Last 24 Hours Before Trade Deadline

Will the New Orleans Pelicans trade their valuable veterans before Thursday's deadline?

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The NBA trade deadline is in full swing, with multiple All-Stars already getting moved. The shocking trades of James Harden and Jaren Jackson Jr. suggest that there may be more unexpected blockbuster moves incoming. With about 24 hours left before Thursday's 3 pm EST deadline, what can we expect from the surprisingly quiet New Orleans Pelicans?

Pelicans' Priorities

The Pelicans don't have a pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. For a team with the second-worst record in the league, that is a disastrous situation to be in. There have been recent reports that the Pelicans want to trade back into the draft, ideally in the first round. New Orleans also doesn't have any second-round picks until the 2030 NBA Draft. They need to add more draft capital at the deadline.

The problem here is that the Pelicans are seemingly uninterested in parting ways with their most valuable players. Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and Zion Williamson are the three players with the most trade value. Murphy could net multiple first-round picks, Jones could bring back a first-rounder with upside, and Williamson is worth a positive asset or two, depending on the trade construction.

If the Pelicans are set on their desire to keep their core together, it will be hard for them to get back first-round value. An impossible-to-turn-down trade offer could change the calculation for the Pelicans, but right now, that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

Trade Candidates

Jose Alvarado and Yves Missi are the two most likely trade candidates on the team. Alvarado can become a free agent in the offseason and sign elsewhere. His $4.5 million salary is low enough that pretty much any team in the league can trade for him. He could bring back second-round picks for the Pelicans, making him an obvious target.

Missi has been playing well, but he was drafted by the previous front office. If there is a trade offer with a first-round pick attached, it will be hard for the Pelicans to turn it down.

Saddiq Bey is in the midst of a career season and has a ton of trade value as a quality two-way wing. Yet, the Pelicans see him as a developmental success story, and he is only 26 years old, so unless a team bowls them over with an offer, he will likely stay.

The Pelicans would also love to move on from Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray, but there are complicating factors regarding both players. Poole is out of the rotation and is on a terrible contract. Murray has yet to make his season debut and makes $30.8 million this season. It's hard to imagine any team giving up anything of value to acquire either player at this point.

What to Expect from Pelicans

Much to the frustration of the fanbase, the Pelicans will largely stand pat at the deadline. Poole and Murray likely can't be moved because of their salaries, and the Pelicans have exorbitant price tags for Murphy and Jones. There has been very little trade chatter around Zion Williamson.

If the Pelicans make any moves, it will involve Alvarado and/or Missi. This could bring back some much-needed draft capital, but it won't change the fortunes of the franchise.

Pelicans fans have to hope that a team makes a shockingly good offer for Jones or Williamson that Joe Dumars & Co. can't turn down. Assuming that doesn't happen, it will be more of the same from the 13-39 Pelicans in the final stretch of the season.