After a slow start to the season, the New Orleans Pelicans have been receiving trade calls on Lonzo Ball and appear open to a trade, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports. Along with Ball, JJ Redick appears to also be a possible trade candidate.
A team that is expected to be prominent in the trade market picture, rival teams expect: The New Orleans Pelicans. The franchise is off to an uneven 5-10 start to the season. New Orleans has been receiving calls about the availability of Lonzo Ball and JJ Redick and has shown an openness to discussing trades around both with interested teams, sources tell The Athletic. A move would create a clearer pathway for young guards Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis in the Pelicans’ rotation.
Ball has struggled when healthy this season, averaging 12.0 points, 4.7 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 31.8 minutes per game. Always an area of focus, Ball is shooting just 29.1% from 3-point range this season through 12 games.
A knee injury sidelined Ball for about 10 days, resulting in him missing three games. In his absence, Nickeil Alexander-Walker shined with a 37-point performance vs. the Clippers.
Prior to the season, the Pelicans and Ball did not come to an agreement on an extension, leaving Ball set for restricted free agency in the upcoming off-season. Any team trading for Ball would be set to offer Ball a likely pay raise in the coming months.
