For the second year in a year the New Orleans Pelicans were active at the NBA trade deadline, though in a subdued fashion compared to the flurry of activity across many other contenders.
The Pelicans swung a deal to bring in veteran SG/SF Josh Richardson from the Spurs in exchange for PG Devonte' Graham and four second-round picks, according to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The 6-5 Richardson has averaged 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 33 assists over 42 games with the Spurs this season, a team that appears to have its sight set firmly on the draft lottery with a 14-41 record. Graham has put in averages of 5.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists off the bench for New Orleans this season, though he's seen his role diminish significantly from the 2020-'21 season.
Where Richardson offers a clear upgrade is efficiency and defense, with his size allowing him to guard multiple positions. Throughout his career he's also been a high-percentage shooter from beyond the arc, shooting greater than 40% from 3-point range in the 2019-'20 and 2020-'21 seasons, though that figure has dropped to 35.7% this year.
The move also offers cap flexibility beyond this season, with Richardson coming over on a 1-year, $8 million deal. Graham is in Year 2 of a 4-year, $47 million deal he signed shortly after being acquired in trade from the Charlotte Hornets.
The Pelicans (29-27) currently sit at No. 7 in the Western Conference, but have bounced back from a 10-game skid and disappointing January with three consecutive wins. Still, their postseason hopes could go either way. They sit just 3 games behind the Kings in the No. 3 spot, but also sit just 2 games ahead of the Thunder in No. 12.
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That skid coincided with the absences of both star forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram due to injury, though Ingram's return in recent weeks has helped the team right the ship. It's still unclear when Williamson will return from a hamstring issue suffered during a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 2, but head coach Willie Green said it would not come until after the All-Star, meaning he will miss at least the next three games and will not participate in the game itself, for which he was named a starter for the first time in his career.
The trade comes a year removed from the blockbuster deal that sent fan-favorite Josh Hart and others out to Portland and brought in key players CJ McCollum and Larry Nance. It also comes on a day of ground-shaking trades, most notably the Brooklyn Nets agreeing to send Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and picks. The Pelicans were rumored to be players in other potential deals, but none developed prior to the 2 p.m. (central) deadline.
The Pelicans are next in action on Friday when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 9 p.m.
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