The New Orleans Pelicans’ season has been nothing short of A Nightmare on Bourbon Street, and now a big-time roster shakeup could be in the works.
According to a report by Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops on Thursday, the team is reportedly listening to trade offers for guard Tyreke Evans. Scotto also notes that Evans is set to make eight figures next season.
Sources: Pelicans are listening to trade offers for Tyreke Evans and gauging his value. He is on the books for $10.2 million next season.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) January 28, 2016
Evans, 26, has battled pertinent knee issues this season, but has still managed averages of 15.2 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, and 6.6 assists per game. Nevertheless, as an ailing, high-usage player vying for touches with Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday (who finally appears to be producing at pre-injury levels again), the argument could made that Evans has become a nonessential piece for the Pelicans.
On another team in search of playmaking and shot creation however, Evans, who plays multiple positions, is great attacking the rim, and is actually shooting a career-best 38.8 percent from deep this year, poses an intriguing trade target. It’s just a matter of if New Orleans can find a team in need willing to swallow both Evans’ injury risk and the money that he is owed.
Going on the trading block is a dramatic 180 from the lofty blather the former Rookie of the Year was talking about the Pelicans before the 2015-16 campaign began. But this could be the type of “addition by subtraction” move the team may have to make in order to have even a remote possibility of turning their season around.
H/T NBA Reddit
