New Orleans Pelicans

Aggressive trade target: Draft capital and versatility

On pace to finish with one of the worst records in the NBA, there may not be a naturally aggressive win-now move for the New Orleans Pelicans to make at the NBA Trade Deadline. However, if they wanted to be aggressive while also embracing change heading into the future, there is a move for the team to make – the Pelicans should target draft capital and future versatility heading into the trade deadline. It may not be a popular answer for the fan base, but this would be considered an aggressive move for the Pelicans.

New Orleans probably is headed down a retooling or rebuilding of their roster anyway. It would make sense for them to aggressively pursue that right now. Whether it’s trading Brandon Ingram, Dejounte Murray, C.J. McCollum, or even Zion Williamson, the Pelicans should be scouring the trade market for a move that could potentially set them up for the future. It may not be what the fan base wants to hear but the front office has their hands full heading into the offseason. And to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure if keeping the same core will accomplish much.

New York Knicks

Aggressive trade target: Jordan Clarkson

It’s amazing to think that the New York Knicks are just two games out of the Boston Celtics for the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Even though the Knicks haven’t even begun to play their best basketball of the season, it’s pretty impressive that this team has remained a top-3 seed for the majority of the year in the standings. Heading into the NBA Trade Deadline, this is a team that could have plenty of incentive to make a bold move. If the Knicks want to legitimize themselves as a threat to win it all, they may need to make an addition at the deadline.

One aggressive target the Knicks could have heading into the deadline is Jordan Clarkson. If the Knicks could add a player like Clarkson off the bench, it could go a long way in helping this team down the stretch. If there’s one weakness that the Knicks currently have on their roster, it’s the lack of proven depth. Heading into the postseason, the Knicks are going to need all the experience they could get off the bench. Clarkson could provide that for the team as somewhat of a microwave type of player.