Pelicans Must Consider a Jordan Poole Contract Buyout

It's becoming increasingly obvious that the New Orleans Pelicans aren't going to make the moves their fans are hoping for. At this point in the offseason, a trade or a signing that will drastically change the immediate or long-term future of the franchise isn't coming. The most likely scenario is that the Pelicans fill their final roster spot with an emergency backup type of player and call it a day.

However, there is one move that hasn't been discussed so far that the Pelicans have to at least consider. If the Pelicans find it impossible to trade Jordan Poole, then they have to think about a contract buyout.

Jordan Poole Contract Buyout Could Be Addition By Subtraction

Poole will make $34 million next season and will become a free agent in the 2027 offseason. It's understandable that no team would be willing to take Poole and his contract on. Even salary-matching in a trade would prove to be challenging.

The only ways the Pelicans could trade Poole are if they attached significant draft capital or took back an even worse contract than Poole. Given where they are as a franchise, it doesn't make sense for the Pelicans to give up draft picks to offload expiring salary. It's not like they are going to use this new cap space to sign a true difference-maker and become a playoff team.

What they could do, however, is to let him go now rather than wait until next summer. One has to assume that Poole would be open to a contract buyout, considering how he was out of the rotation for most of last season. Instead of riding the bench for a lottery team, Poole could be interested in joining a team he could play for and potentially secure a new contract.

If the sides can agree on a contract buyout, the Pelicans could save a couple of million dollars, and Poole could make up for the amount he is leaving on the table in his new deal. It's not like New Orleans is losing a rotation player. Instead of paying Poole $34 million to sit on the bench, they could pay him $30 million to play for another team.

More importantly, this opens up a roster spot. New Orleans can sign a younger player with a higher upside who fills a need in that roster spot. Whether it's a shooter who can provide spacing or a center who can add more physicality, the Pelicans should have better uses for Poole's spot.

It also creates more opportunities for the young Pelicans. In the 39 games Poole played last season, he had a 25.1% usage rate. He took 11.4 shots in 23.9 minutes per game. Getting him off the team means Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen handling the ball more and taking more shots. It also means that the likes of Micah Peavy and Bryce McGowens could get on the court more.

This could be an addition by subtraction. Since the front office doesn't seem too interested in actual additions, this may be the best Pelicans fans have to hope for.