At 30-21, the New Orleans Pelicans are humming along during the 2023-24 NBA season.
The Pelicans have a young and exciting roster headlined by Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, as well as a solid supporting cast featuring players like CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas.
However, New Orleans still feels like a piece or two away from being in serious playoff contention given the strengths of teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Phoenix Suns.
The NBA trade deadline is one of the most exciting times of the year as teams like the Pelicans will have opportunities to bolster their roster in hopes of making a deep playoff run.
With several draft assets and young players available, New Orleans looms as an underrated buyer at the deadline.
In fact, they’re the most recent team to be linked to Atlanta Hawks star guard Dejounte Murray via Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
“The New Orleans Pelicans are a sleeper team for Dejounte Murray,” Haynes reported.
The New Orleans Pelicans are a sleeper team for Dejounte Murray, per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/7A4VlnjWEe
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 7, 2024
Murray is the biggest name with the most likely odds of moving teams given the Hawks’ record and lack of future draft picks.
Atlanta sent the San Antonio Spurs a haul of picks to acquire Murray and have reportedly set his price at two first-round picks and a young player.
No team in the league has reportedly come close to meeting the Hawks’ asking price, but the Pelicans could cobble together a deal rather easily if they’re serious about pursuing Murray.
Getting Murray would be a meaningful upgrade for New Orleans, so it’ll be interesting to see what they end up doing.
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