THE The New Orleans Pelicans New Orleans enters the 2024 NBA season without a real option at center. New Orleans lost a lot of depth this summer after trading away Jonas Valanciunas, Larry Nance, Jr., and Cody Zeller in various deals. They signed free agent center Daniel Theis and selected Yves Missi with their first-round draft pick.
Theis is a 6-foot-10 big man who has been a journeyman for most of his career. Missi has raw potential but limited basketball experience. The Cameroon native only played organized basketball for three years before joining the NBA. A report recently circulated that Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler is not part of the team’s “long-term plan.”
Kessler is a former 2022 first-round pick out of Auburn University. He was traded twice before finally settling with the Utah Jazz. During his rookie season, Kessler started 40 games, averaging 9.2 points and 8.4 rebounds. Those stats earned him an NBA All-Rookie First-Team selection and a bright future in Utah.
In his second season, he was second in the league in blocks per game, behind Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. However, Kessler started about half the games he started in his rookie season, and this summer the Jazz considered trade offers for him. The New York Knicks reportedly offered Utah a trade package, but negotiations stalled and the trade never happened.
The Pelicans were at full capacity after Former Chicago Bulls forward signs Javonte Green earlier this week. On Friday, New Orleans released forward Matt Ryan, who played 28 games for the Pelicans last season. That puts them at 14 and still slightly above the luxury tax line. The team has never paid the luxury tax in franchise history.
Acquiring Kessler would involve draft capital and a player. That could mean second-year player Jordan Hawkins could be potential trade bait in the deal. Hawkins had a promising start to the season as a rookie, averaging 30 minutes per game and scoring 14.4 points on 36.7 percent three-point shooting. Those numbers took a sharp turn the rest of the year, with six straight DNPs late in the season as the Pelicans battled for a playoff spot.
Hawkins also struggled in Summer League this year. He led the team with 3.6 turnovers per game in New Orleans’ five Summer League appearances in Las Vegas. He shot a meager 23 percent from beyond the arc, even though he averaged the most minutes on the team.
A deal for Kessler involving Hawkins could allow the Pelicans to get under the salary cap and fill a significant hole in the middle of the team. The Pelicans have the assets to make a deal, but it appears the Jazz have turned down a deal involving two future first-round picks for Kessler. It will be interesting to see if the teams engage in meaningful trade talks for the third-year center.
