The New Orleans Pelicans attempted to upgrade their roster while chasing after the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. One way they did so, per ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe, was by inquiring about Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard’s availability on the trade market.
NBA trade rumors: Pelicans asked the Hawks about Dwight Howard, according to report
But the brief Howard-to-Pelicans trade talks were tabled when Atlanta pulled the plug on blowing their roster up.
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“In the days that followed, Atlanta and New Orleans had exploratory talks about possible Howard trades before the Hawks pulled everyone off the market, according to several league sources,” Lowe writes.
The Pelicans have run Anthony Davis at center much of the season. And while the All-Star big man has obliged with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, it’s unclear if he’s a full-time center or should be shifted back down to the power forward slot.
The only true centers on the Pelicans’ roster are Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca, who have combined for just 7.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this season. The 31-year-old Howard, an eight-time All-Star, is averaging 13.9 points and 13.3 rebounds per game with the Hawks and boasts a team-best 22.7 player efficiency rating this season.
If Davis’ future is at the four spot, a true five, not a stopgap, is needed.
Why did the Pelicans reach out?
The Pelicans (16-26) are only two games behind the Denver Nuggets (17-23) for the West’s eighth seed and, per Lowe, would rather make a postseason push than tank for a higher draft pick.
But under head coach Alvin Gentry, New Orleans has yet to establish an identity, in part due to the team’s roster makeup. The Pelicans don’t have enough shooters to run with their small-ball lineup nor space the floor for Jrue Holiday to make plays with the ball. And without good spacing, Gentry’s offense has ranked 27th in points per possession, with or without both Davis and Holiday.
Will a Dwight Howard-to-New Orleans trade be revived?
When the Hawks sent Kyle Korver to Atlanta for Mike Dunleavy, Mo Williams, and a 2019 first-round pick, it signaled a roster fire sale of one of the East’s premier teams. But Atlanta backtracked soon after, taking all of its trade assets off the market including Paul Millsap, whose trade rumors this season have been well-documented.
“It is unclear how interested New Orleans was, and there was not unanimous support within the team for acquiring Howard,” Lowe wrote.
But nothing drives decision making more than winning, specifically winning now. If the Pelicans, indeed, want to make the playoffs, going big could be their best option with Howard easily the best big man reportedly available.
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