Limited funds won't stop the New Orleans Pelicans from targeting impactful free agent wings. Discover three budget-friendly additions who could elevate the Pelicans' roster.
The New Orleans Pelicans seem to be leaning towards trying to compete with this healthy core next season, which is a decision that would be met with some pushback.
If they do run it back, they will be trying to get rid of some of their less desirable contracts. Such as Jordan Hawkins making $7 million and Jordan Poole making $31.9 million, but it won't be easy.
There is a good chance that they won't have very much money to work with. If they only have limited funds to work with, there are still some cheaper options on the market that would make a ton of sense.
Here are four pending free agents to keep an eye on for the rest of this season, as they could be great fits with this Pelicans roster:
Philadelphia 76ers SG/SF Quentin Grimes
Grimes has bounced around a bunch in his young career, playing on four teams since the start of the 2023/2024 season. It makes sense that a lot of people want him, though, because of his abilities as a three-and-D wing off the bench.
He is averaging 12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 44.4/34.3/84.0 splits. He is efficient enough, playmakes for others at a solid rate and heavily impacts the defensive end. The 76ers' defensive rating drops by -3.1 with him on the court.
Los Angeles Lakers SG/SF Luke Kennard
The Pelicans must surround Zion Williamson and Derik Queen with much more shooting if they are ever going to have a chance to work together. That was the hope with Poole, but he hasn't really shot it well this year.
Kennard is one of the best pure shooters in the league. He's averaging 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 55.6/50.3/91.5 splits. He has the highest offensive rating change with him on the court of any wing in the league at +16.1. There is a defensive drop-off, but he more than makes up for it.
Minnesota Timberwolves PG/SG/SF Ayo Dosunmu
Dosunmu would make sense as someone who does a little bit of everything off the bench, though mostly focused on the offensive side of the ball. He is very efficient and rarely turns the ball over.
He is averaging 14.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 51.5/44.1/86.3 shooting splits this season. With New Orleans working with limited money, this could be an option that fills more than one hole, given his skill set.