Are The Pelicans Making Another Trade?

Pels Press • January 23, 2024

Who's In & Who's Out?: New Orleans Pelicans Trade Deadline

 

Just a few weeks before the NBA trade deadline, it was reported that the New Orleans Pelicans were listening to offers for starting small forward Herb Jones. In addition to this, it was reported that the Pelicans had interest in acquiring a defensive minded big man in the market to get their team over the top. From sellers to buyers, here’s everything you need to know about the Pelicans leading up to the February 8th deadline.


  The Pelicans Aren’t Trading Herb Jones.

        This comes as no surprise. I would guess that New Orleans would be open to trading Jones in an insanely big blockbuster deal, but it would be absolutely redundant to trade Herb considering his team friendly contract, and although he has trade value, he is a core piece of the Pelicans’ future and has a big fan in front office member David Griffin. The only reasonable explanation as to why a report like this would even come out is because of Pelicans reserve Dyson Daniels, who has taken an unbelievable defensive leap in year two.



 Still, it would make no sense to keep Daniels over Jones, as Herb is better offensively and is a member of the starting five every game he’s available. He’s taken a big jump with his three point shooting this year, and is becoming capable of being a reliable scoring option for New Orleans, which only makes them better offensively. He’s also a fan favorite and has never expressed interest in playing anywhere but New Orleans, proving these reports incorrect. It would come as a complete surprise to me, as well as many others, if the Pelicans choose to sell at the trade deadline, and Herb Jones is one of the last people I would want/expect to see shipped out of New Orleans.


Who Might the Pelicans Trade?



        The Pelicans view their “core” as Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy. These players are almost certainly not going anywhere. While I do think the Pelicans would ship off any other player in the right deal, it’s hard for me to believe they’d just be willing to trade a guy like rookie Jordan Hawkins. So who would they be open or willing to move on from?

Jonas Valančiūnas

As reliable as the big fella has been this season, I don’t think the Pelicans front office values him defensively and would rather someone else at the starting center spot. He would likely be included in a deal for that different center.

Dyson Daniels

I don’t think the Pelicans are looking to trade Daniels, but I do think they wouldn’t necessarily hesitate to throw him in a deal if it meant they could upgrade at another position.

Naji Marshall

Similar to Daniels, I don’t think the Pelicans are actively shopping him. However, I think they would throw him in if they could get a deal done for a better player.

Who Could the Pelicans Look to Add at the Deadline?



        Now that the easy part is out of the way, it’s time to look at some potential trade targets the Pelicans could be eyeing. It’s been no secret that the Pelicans have been looking to add some rim protection, either to their starting lineup or off the bench. While there’s been some talk about Clint Capela, Andre Drummond, and Daniel Gafford, Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has been the top name thrown around, but who else could New Orleans go for? And could they be in the market for a guard or forward as well? Let’s break down all the trade targets I think the Pelicans should keep an eye on.


Defensive Center- Jarrett Allen


Let’s start with the obvious. Allen’s name has been associated with the Pelicans since last summer, and he fits the mold of everything the Pelicans seem to be looking for. He is a defensive guy and good rebounder on a good team. Despite their success this season, the Cavs do seem open to trading Allen, and the Pelicans have seemed to be the number one team linked to him dating back to before the draft. Allen is currently averaging 14.8 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 1.1 BPG to go along with a steal per game. He is shooting 66.7% from the floor this season, and only tends to shoot when he needs to, as the offense is mainly run by stars Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, as well as Evan Mobley. He is also just 25 years old, which could be a big factor dragging the Pels in. In New Orleans, Allen would almost surely be told to just keep doing what he’s doing, as he wouldn’t have to play a vital role in the offense here either. Allen would most certainly start for New Orleans, so a deal with him would no doubt include C Jonas Valanciunas and possibly someone like Dyson Daniels, and maybe even a pick as well. Although Allen isn’t as good as Valanciunas offensively and can’t space the floor, it is understandable to see why the Pelicans would have interest in a player like Allen, especially given his youth. I would probably argue that this is the number one trade target for New Orleans, so definitely something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.


Veteran Point Guard- Tyus Jones


CJ McCollum has been very good for the Pelicans this season, even shooting a career high from deep. But he isn’t a true point guard. That’s where Tyus Jones comes in. Jones is quietly having a very nice season for a struggling Washington team, averaging over 12 PPG and 6 APG while shooting over 50% from the field and over 42% from 3. Like Allen, Jones does not play with a scorer’s mindset, and would truly be a nice piece for many contenders all over the league. Because the Wizards are so far below .500, it would make a lot of sense for them to trade the 27 year old, especially if they could get more picks and young players. Jones wouldn’t have to start for the Pelicans to be successful, but definitely could if need be. While I don’t expect the Pels to make a big push for a player like him, I would 100% be supportive of a trade for Jones if the Pelicans were able to get him at the right price.

The Big Star- Lauri Markkanen



Let’s close with the biggest long-shot. Lauri Markkanen has been incredible since being traded to the Utah Jazz a few years ago, as he’s currently averaging 24 PPG, 9 RPG, and 2 APG on nearly 50% shooting and 39% from beyond the arc. Markkanen is surely one of the most underrated players in the game today, and he would make an incredible impact to this New Orleans team. I don’t see Utah being completely unwilling to let go of Markkanen, but I don’t see the price being very low either. A deal like this would require multiple rotational players for the Pels, as well as multiple first round picks. The Pelicans trading for Markkanen would certainly surprise me, but it would also convince the fanbase that the front office is finally all in and ready to win a championship now. Adding Markkanen to this core of guys would create for one of the best lineups in the game of basketball, and it would immediately make the Pelicans a true Western Conference force.


Young with Upside: Nick Richards


Now this is a name I haven’t seen brought up in many mock trades. I think Richards would be the perfect backup 5 for this Pels team, and could even be a starter if the Pelicans front office and coaching staff trusted him enough. The 4th year Charlotte Hornet is averaging 8.7 PPG on nearly 70% from the floor, and is grabbing 7.6 boards along with 1.3 blocks in his time on the floor, which has mostly come in backup minutes. Since it was reported that Charlotte would be open to trading anyone other than Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller, Richards is definitely gettable and probably wouldn’t cost a huge amount for New Orleans either. While I don’t necessarily have him on my Pelicans radar, it’s entirely possible that the Pels would go after someone like him in Charlotte at the last minute, similarly to what they did with Josh Richardson last year, although that trade was mainly to get off of Devonte Graham’s contract.


A Big Rental- Nic Claxton


Imagine a slightly younger version of Jarrett Allen. Nets C Nic Claxton is having a nearly identical year to Allen in all but one category: blocks. While he isn’t as good offensively, averaging a few less points and shooting worse, especially from the FT line, Claxton is averaging an astonishing 2.3 BPG and would no doubt be a defensive anchor in New Orleans. While I have seen his name linked to a few New Orleans mock trades, I do not fully expect the Nets to be willing to sell Claxton, and I believe they would receive a big package for him if he is traded. I’m sure the Pelicans would be more willing to go after someone like Allen, as he’s only one year older and would probably be cheaper to obtain, but no one would be mad if the Pelicans tried Claxton instead. I could definitely see him being a key piece of the team if he ends up being traded here.


What Does It Mean?


        All of this being said, I fully expect the Pelicans, if they make any moves at the deadline (which they should), to be buyers. They should be on the phone with any and every GM around the league trying to make moves, hopefully for one or more of the guys I have listed above. Let’s see how different this Pelicans team looks come early February!

 -Drew Duvieilh  (@Drew_Duvieilh) on X

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Louisiana Loses Low-Scoring Game to James Madison in First-Ever Matchup: Final Takeaways

By Abdul Abusada • October 11, 2025
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team have now fallen to 2-4 on the season and 1-1 in conference play after losing 24-14 to the James Madison Dukes in Harrisonburg, VA. This was the first-ever meeting between the Cajuns and the Dukes. Coming into this game, the Cajuns were 18.5-point underdogs against a James Madison team that was 4-1 on the season and ranked 4th nationally in total defense. QB Lunch Winfield made his debut collegiate start in this game after leading an impressive second-half comeback against Marshall a couple weeks ago when he replaced then-starter Daniel Beale. But while sportsbooks had JMU winning this game in blowout fashion, the Cajuns kept the game close, as neither team led by more than seven points at any point up until the final three minutes. FINAL TAKEAWAYS 1. Lunch Winfield brought the passing game to some sort of life. Prior to this game, UL averaged 122 yards per game through the air and only had three passing touchdowns through five games. Today, Lunch aired it out for 243 yards and two passing touchdowns on just 14 completions, coming out to a nice 17.4 yards per completion. While he did finish with a 50% completion rate (14/28), it is still an impressive stat line given that JMU came into this game ranked 8th nationally in passing yards allowed (137.4 ypg). Not to mention, this was the most yards allowed through the air by the Dukes this season (the most prior to this game was last week at Georgia State who put up 212 yards passing). JMU did not fare well today in pass defense, leaving receivers open multiple times, and Lunch took advantage of those mistakes. That being said, there were some questionable "toss-up" throws he made that could have went either way (similar to what Jameis Winston did in NOLA), but nonetheless, there is an improvement in the passing game compared to where this team was at the start of the season. And it is not necessarily a bad thing, as Lunch appears to have faith in his receivers, and so do the coaching staff. As long as the Cajuns continue to work their craft through the air, they should be just fine for the rest of the season, assuming everyone stays healthy and this offensive line, which is banged up (and potentially lost another body for some time after starting LG Kaden Moreau left with an injury), can get some bodies back. But they are still far from perfect. 2. Tackling continues to be an issue for the Cajuns. While this was not as big of an issue for defense as it was for special teams (particularly punt team) today, this is something the Cajuns have struggled with all season long. Not including those that may have went over my mind, there were two notable Cajuns punts today where the JMU returner broke 3+ tackles each time and gained significant yardage. We all hoped the team would use the bye week to improve wrapping-up players and tackling better, but the issues still persisted today. There was improvement, as the Cajuns defense did better with tackling and not allowing big plays after contact, per say. But overall, it has been a concerning spot all season for the Cajuns, and there were some glimpses of that yet again today. 3. Cajuns defense slowly showing improvement but still needs lots of work. UL's defense has been on a decline all season, and as a whole came in today as statistically one of the worst in the country. Though there are some positives to take from today's game. Prior to playing Marshall a couple weeks ago, this secondary allowed an average of only 160 yards per game through the air, which was top 25 nationally. Ever since, they have been exposed twice in a row, with big games allowed against Marshall's QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (258 yards) and now JMU's QB Alonza Barnett III (290 yards). However, despite the numbers saying otherwise, it looked worse against Marshall than it did today against JMU. The difference between the two is that against Marshall, receivers were consistently being left open, whereas against JMU, there was better awareness and coverage. Not to mention a big chunk of Barnett's 290 yards came from a flea flicker trick play on the opening play of the second half for a 62-yard touchdown. Still, this isn't to mention, however, that JMU was a run-heavy team coming into this game, not a passing team by any means. 63% of their total offensive yards prior to today came from their strong running attack. The Cajuns need to figure something out defensively to slow down passing games, and it undoubtedly became more concerning after allowing a run-heavy team to pass very well today. So far through two conference games, they are on pace to being one of the worst passing defenses in the country. As far as the run game, the Cajuns showed improvement, allowing 187 rushing yards. Now, by no means is that a stat to highlight on a defense's resume. But UL came into this game ranked 6th worst in the country in rushing defense (allowing 221.6 ypg), while JMU was 10th best in rushing offense (averaging 241.6 ypg). If anything, the indications pointed towards a huge running attack for the Dukes going up against a really poor Cajuns defensive front. Prior to this game, the only time JMU ran for less than 210 yards was against a really good Louisville defense when the Dukes were limited to just 126 yards on a whopping 47 attempts. Today, even though they ran pretty well, the Dukes had to rely a lot on the passing game to move the ball, which as mentioned above, is completely opposite of what their norm is (60% of their yards today came through the air). 4. Banged up offensive line situation just keeps getting worse. UL had three offensive linemen out for this game due to injury, and they lost another one halfway through the game as starting LG Kaden Moreau went down with an apparent leg injury. The exact diagnosis and his status for future games are still undetermined, but that now puts the Cajuns at two starting offensive linemen now potentially being out against Southern Miss (the other is RT George Jackson who was already ruled out for the game and likely to miss the rest of the season). The struggles were apparent in the game as not only were the Cajuns unable to run the ball well, only gaining 45 yards on 28 carries (QB Lunch Winfield was the leading rusher with 23 yards), but there was also lots of pressure on Lunch during pass attempts that increasingly got worse as the game progressed. Leading RB Zylan Perry was out with an injury, so he did not play. Overall The team is still continuing to show lots of inconsistency, and a lot of it has to do with injuries and poor execution. As mentioned earlier, this is a really good James Madison team, and this game was going to be a tough one to win in the first place. That being said, the fact that the Cajuns were able to keep the game close (only allowed 14 points through three quarters) is a huge positive and a step towards the right direction, but the team is still not where it needs to be. JMU today was flagged ten times for a whopping 102 yards, which played a big role in giving the Cajuns the great field position and scoring opportunities they had. The Ragin' Cajuns will now fly back home to prepare for a homecoming matchup next Saturday at 4pm versus the Southern Miss Eagles in what will be the TRUE rematch of the Sun Belt Conference Championship last season (if you know, you know). We'll see how the Cajuns play against Coach Huff and QB Braylon Braxton, both of whom were at Marshall last season when the Cajuns played them in the conference title game. The Cajuns are now needing to win four of these last six games to earn bowl eligibility. Please don't forget to follow my talk show, Cajun Sports Talk, on X (@CajunSportsTalk) and subscribe to our YouTube (@CajunSportsTalk2025), covering the hottest sports topics in Cajun country and beyond with my co-host and betting expert, Banyan Turner!

New Orleans Saints vs New England Patriots 2025 Week 6 Preview

By Caleb Yaccarino • October 11, 2025
The New Orleans Saints have done it. They won their first game of the season. Now, can they create a win streak?
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