Saddiq Bey shines as a steal while Jordan Poole's costly contract cripples flexibility. Discover the New Orleans Pelicans' best and worst financial burdens for next season.
With 16 games left in the season, the New Orleans Pelicans don't have much left to play for. At least tangibly. That doesn't mean that they can take their foot off the pedal as they need to get as much information as possible before heading into the offseason.
A big part of the decision process for Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver will be what money they have available to them. They have some great contracts that will allow flexibility, as well as some horrendous ones that could hinder their plans.
Here are the two best and two worst deals that the Pelicans have on the books for next year:
Best
F Saddiq Bey - $6.44 million
Bey has been nothing short of a revelation since being brought over from the Washington Wizards this offseason. He was essentially a throw-in part of the Jordan Poole trade, which will be brought up again.
He has averaged 17.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 45.5/34.9/83.9 shooting splits. That much production and the reliability he offers for under $7 million is among the biggest steals in the NBA.
F Trey Murphy III - $27 million
One of the reasons why trading Murphy has always seemed like a horrible idea is his team-friendly deal. It will be the second year of his four-year, $112 million rookie extension.
The sharpshooter has taken another step forward into stardom this season with 22.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 47.3/38.5/88.9 splits. He'll be of interest of a ton of contenders this offseason, but they'd be better off just keeping him.
Worst
SG Jordan Poole - $34.04 million
Among the worst deals in the league, over $34 million for a player who doesn't see the court is awful. It's hard to call the trade a complete miss, seeing as though it brought Bey over, but Poole just hasn't worked out.
The guard is completely out of the rotation again. New Orleans will be doing all it can to move on from him this offseason.
SG Jordan Hawkins - $7.02 million
Hawkins is someone else they will want to move on from, but it'll have to be as a throw-in piece. It'll be hard to imagine any team signing up to just pay him $7 million next year, given how much of a step back he has taken in year three.
The decision to pick up his fourth-year option was questioned in the immediate aftermath and has only looked more questionable with time. He's averaging just 3.9 points per night on 31.7/29.4/77.8 splits.
Someone not included here, but will be by many people, is Dejounte Murray. While Murray's $32.79 price tag next year and $30.75 player option following that is not ideal, he's at least going to be playing.
The guard has looked good in his return from his Achilles injury and could contribute next year. If he gets further back into form, it might not be impossible to move on from him on the trade market if they deem that the best option.