Latest Pelicans Free Agency Rumors and Tracker

NBA free agency kicks off at 6 pm EST on Tuesday. The New Orleans Pelicans, who have been frustratingly quiet so far this offseason, have a few important holes to fill, but possess limited resources to do so. They have to get creative in free agency, including making savvy moves in the trade market to get additional flexibility and cap space.

The rumor mill has been working overtime as we approach free agency. Let's take a look at the market landscape and all the rumors involving the Pelicans.

Offseason Moves So Far

New Orleans drafted Jaron Pierre Jr. with the only pick they had in the NBA Draft. They also declined the team option on Kevon Looney, making him an unrestricted free agent. On the other hand, they have picked up the $2.3 million team option on Karlo Matkovic for next season. Otherwise, they have stood pat, despite ongoing trade speculation.

Trade Rumors

Trey Murphy continues to be at the center of all speculation in New Orleans. He is drawing attention in the trade market, but no team has met the Pelicans' high asking price. NBA insider Kevin O'Connor claimed that the Pelicans are looking for three first-round picks, but teams have reportedly been willing to trade only two so far.

Herb Jones is the other prime trade candidate. He could bring back a first-round pick for the Pelicans. Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray could be traded for financial reasons if the Pelicans find a deal that makes sense, but neither is expected to have much positive trade value.

New Orleans was considered a potential Jaylen Brown destination, but recent reporting suggests that the Pelicans are not actively pursuing the Celtics superstar.

Pelicans Cap Space

After renouncing Kevon Looney's team option, the Pelicans have about $12.6 million in cap space, slightly lower than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception starting around $15 million per year. New Orleans can open up even more cap room by making a small move like trading Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, or Yves Missi, or a big trade involving Jordan Poole or Dejounte Murray.

The Pelicans are currently $14.2 million under the first apron. Given how the ownership has never paid the luxury tax, however, it's difficult to imagine New Orleans going over the tax line.

Potential Center Targets

The biggest need for the Pelicans is a starting center. Derik Queen and Yves Missi are the only centers on the roster, and whether Queen's best position is the five is debatable. Due to defensive concerns, Queen will likely play a lot of his minutes at power forward. This means that the Pelicans have to add more quality and depth.

With their limited cap space, the Pelicans will want to target Rob Williams and Mitchell Robinson as their primary targets. Mo Wagner and Nikola Vucevic are other options, but the free agent market is certainly not robust in terms of centers.

Pelicans Free Agents

Player	Status
Kevon Looney	Unrestricted Free Agent
DeAndre Jordan	Unrestricted Free Agent

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