New Orleans Pelicans Offseason Needs

Starting Center:
Robin Lopez is a good defensive center, but he is offensively challenged. They drafted Anthony Davis last season, but it is clear that they want him at power forward. I have the Pelicans taking Alex Len with their first pick in the draft. He would be the most logical choice since he is defensively sound. However, he needs to work on his offensive game more, but he is probably further along than Lopez in that category. They could also take a look at Cody Zeller, but I doubt they pick him since he has the same offensive game as Davis, but it worse on defense. Also, don't be surprised if they make a run at Al Jefferson or Nikola Pekovic, but they would have to get rid of Eric Gordon before they could sign either of them.

Starting Small Forward:
Al-Farouq Aminu is a good player and deserves good minutes off the bench, but he is not a starter. He is a solid defender, but not so great on offense. They could take a look at Shabazz Muhammad with their first pick. He would provide a scoring presence, which is something the Pelicans don't have since Gordon is out a lot of the time. Other than Muhammad, there are no small forwards worth grabbing in the first round or in free agency. They may have to let this hole continue to grow for another year and fill it with a lottery pick next season.

Trade Eric Gordon:
This is a serious need for the Pelicans. Gordon provides nothing for them and he has voiced that he does not want to be in New Orleans. I would try to trade him to the Suns because they are in dire need of a shooting guard. However, there are other teams that need a shooting guard too, such as Dallas, Milwaukee and Minnesota. I would try to get a first rounder for him because when he is healthy he has proven that he can produce at a very high level.

The Hornets need to retool a little before they even think of contending for the playoffs. Anthony Davis played well last season when he was finally healthy. He will be the face of the franchise for many years to come. Last season, Grevis Vasquez came out of nowhere and impressed as the starting point guard. He average 14 points and 9 assists per game and showed he could be the point guard of the future for this team. Even if his is not, point guard is not a priority on their laundry list of needs. If they can get Len, they will be on their way to having a formidable front court, which will lead to much success down the road.