After the Anthony Davis trade, the New Orleans Pelicans realistically only have one spot in the starting lineup unaccounted for. With Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball entrenched in the backcourt and Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson at the forward spots, a center is the only area of weakness for the Pelicans.
General manager David Griffin and his front office staff, unsurprisingly, are not only aware of that weakness but could have been actively seeking a massive upgrade at the position.
On Friday, The Athletic’s Alykhan Bijani reported that the Pelicans, along with other teams, had discussions with the Houston Rockets ahead of the NBA Draft on Clint Capela.
As of Thursday, league sources told The Athletic the Rockets have been shopping Capela and Eric Gordon for a first-round pick that could then be used to entice Philadelphia to do a sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler. Before the draft, Houston had discussions with the Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics and New Orleans Pelicans about a possible trade involving Capela, including the possibility of moving him for the fourth overall pick in those proceedings.
In terms of perfect fits at center, it’s hard to find someone who would be a better fit at center than Capela. Though he has his faults, Capela was a 97th percentile offensive player last season and is one of the best pick and roll bigs in the league. He also grades out as a 67th percentile defender.
As noted in the piece, the No. 4 pick would have been the centerpiece in the return meaning the trade is almost certainly off the table now. The Pelicans also likely aren’t going to be in on Al Horford either. Names are quickly coming off the board for the Pelicans to fill the center spot but with a host of big men on the market, many intriguing names still remain.
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