As the 2024-25 season approaches, the The New Orleans Pelicans look like a playoff team on paper again after a solid offseason.
The Pelicans made a splash when they traded Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. Murray was the center of many rumors throughout the offseason, and it was ultimately New Orleans that managed to get a deal done for him.
With a starting five of Murray, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, the Pelicans clearly have a lot of talent in their starting five. However, they have a glaring problem at the center position.
New Orleans signed Daniel Theis this offseason, and it looks like he’ll be the starting center entering the season. Theis is a good player in the NBA, but he’s never averaged more than 20 minutes per game in a season, which could be a big ask from the Pelicans.
For New Orleans to take the next step and truly become a contender in the Western Conference, it will likely need to address the center position.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently said that Brook Lopez would be a good fit in addition to Myles Turner.
“Lopez is significantly older than Turner (36) but he’s still a better defender, shooting 36.6 percent from three-point range last season. Retirement is probably not far off, although one or two good years of Lopez could be enough for Yves Missi to take over the job.”
“A sluggish start to the season could force the Bucks to consider real changes around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard to keep pace in the East. If Lopez becomes available, he would be a major asset to the Pels.”
Adding Lopez would be a great option on paper for the Pelicans. Although he is near the end of his career, Lopez has become an excellent shooter from the center position and has plenty of playoff experience.
Three-point shooting will be something to watch for the Pelicans this season, as floor spacing appears to be their number one issue. Lopez would instantly solve that problem on offense, as he shot 36.6 percent from beyond the arc last season and made 1.4 three-pointers per game.
While the Pelicans would likely jump at the chance to add a player like Lopez, they would need Milwaukee Bucks to play the game in a trade. The Bucks had a very disappointing season last year given their expectations and another slow start could lead to a change and potentially make a player like Lopez available.
