Grade the Trade: Mock sees Hornets franchise-altering player in 3-team trade
By Jack Simone
Grade the Trade: Pelicans get Miles Bridges, No. 6 pick in mock deal with Hornets
Incoming: Miles Bridges, No. 6 pick, Jae’Sean Tate, No. 44 pick
The New Orleans Pelicans are in a very interesting situation heading into the summer. They pretty clearly want to trade Brandon Ingram, as he doesn’t fit with their current plans.
New Orleans is already into the tax, and they want to prioritize Trey Murphy III, who fits better with their future plans building around Zion Williamson.
In turn, this deal would be a pretty good one for them.
Miles Bridges shouldn’t be in the NBA. But from a strictly on-the-court standpoint, he’s a fine player. He’s turned himself into an impressive scorer with the Charlotte Hornets, and he’s an athletic freak.
If his three-point shot remains consistent, he could be a nice piece for the Pelicans, but with Murphy III and Herb Jones, he would probably come off the bench for them.
The sixth pick would be a very intriguing part of this trade, too, as they could bring in a cost-controlled player to build with moving into the future. Guys like Dalton Knecht and Rob Dillingham would be intriguing prospects for them to target.
However, in Zach Buckley’s mock trade, he has them trading the sixth pick to the New York Knicks for Mitchell Robinson, giving the Pelicans a new starting center.
Overall, this is a solid trade, but the fact that they’d be getting yet another wing/forward-type player in the move is less than ideal.
Grade: B-
Potential starting lineup: CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Zion Williamson, (Insert center here)