The New Orleans Pelicans tried to trade for Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen and Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, according to NBA insider Will Guillory of The Athletic. However, no deal was made.
The Pelicans are looking to add a center since Jonas Valanciunas has one year left on his contract. Allen won’t be traded by the Cavaliers, who are looking to keep their core of Allen, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley together, while Stewart signed a four-year, $64 million rookie-scale extension with the Pistons.
“With Valančiūnas heading into the final year of his deal, the Pels have been sniffing around for other options in recent months,” Guillory wrote. “There have been rumors of them exploring potential deals for Jarrett Allen or Isaiah Stewart, but nothing has materialized quite yet.”
Valanciunas will make $15.4 million next season. The veteran averaged 14.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 2022-23 while shooting 54.7% from the floor, 34.9% from 3 and 82.6% from the free-throw line. Valanciunas recorded 43 double-doubles in 79 starts.
The Pelicans acquired Valanciunas from the Memphis Grizzlies in August 2021. The 31-year-old signed a two-year, $30.4 million extension with New Orleans in October 2021. Valanciunas is averaging 15.9 points and 10.8 rebounds in 153 games in The Big Easy.
The Pelicans won only 42 games last season. They lost the 9-10 play-in game to the Oklahoma City Thunder at home and didn’t make the NBA playoffs. Zion Williamson appeared in just 29 games last season. The All-Star has only played 114 out of a possible 308 regular-season games since being drafted by the Pelicans with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke.
Brandon Ingram also missed a lot of games last season. The former Los Angeles Lakers forward played in just 45 games. For the Pelicans to make the playoffs next year, Williamson and Ingram have to stay healthy.
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