Pelicans' Jordan Hawkins & Yves Missi May Be Headed Towards Exit After Latest Report

The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly willing to move on from their two recent draft picks.

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Much to the frustration of its fanbase, the New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly mostly standing pat at the February 5 trade deadline. All signs point to Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy staying in New Orleans until at least the end of the season, despite the Pelicans having the worst record in the West. The team desperately needs more future assets and draft capital, but Joe Dumars & Co. seemingly want to see more of this core together. The only two players they are reportedly entertaining offers for are Yves Missi and Jordan Hawkins.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Thursday that the New Orleans has "definitely left rival teams with the impression that it is willing to part with" both Missi and Hawkins. Fischer notes that both young players were drafted by the David Griffin regime, which could be a reason for the decision.

Pelicans Are Listening to Offers on Yves Missi & Jordan Hawkins

Interest around the league for Missi is understandable. He is 21 years old and is only in his second season. He was sparingly used in the rotation early on, but he has shown intriguing improvement over the last few weeks. He is averaging over 20 minutes per game in January and is averaging 6.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. His offensive rebounding has been important for the Pelicans, who have a 115.8 offensive rating with him on the floor and have a massive 36.2% offensive rebounding rate when he is playing, per Cleaning The Glass. As a result, Missi has the best on/off metrics on the team, with the Pelicans 8.2 points per 100 possessions better when he is on the court.

Why the Pelicans would want to trade Missi when that has been the reality is certainly surprising. The Pacers are reportedly interested in him, and unless they are willing to give up a first-round pick, the Pelicans should be hesitant to let him go.

New Orleans' willingness to let Hawkins go, however, is less surprising. In his third year in the league, Hawkins has failed to make the jump into a reliable rotation player. He is one of the least efficient players in the league with 42.7% True Shooting. His shot isn't falling once again, as he is making 30.3% of his threes and 34.7% of his two-point attempts. Considering he never gets to the line, it becomes very difficult to justify having Hawkins on the floor.

Another team could be willing to take a chance on Hawkins, but it's impossible to imagine anyone giving up any assets to acquire him. He could be moved as part of a larger deal, but on his own, Hawkins may be considered a negative asset. In what type of deal the Pelicans can move him before the deadline will be fascinating to watch.