The Wizards could be the middleman in a Pelicans/Trailblazers trade

As recently reported by NBA Insider Shams Charania, the New Orleans Pelicans are going to be aggressive in trying to get Scoot Henderson. Since the Charlotte Hornets are unlikely to trade away their second pick, it leaves the Portland Trailblazers. However, they may need a third team to get the deal done. This is where the Washington Wizards come in.

The Pelicans have no shortage of talent, they boast a star studded starting five and some impressive depth to fill out the rotation. However, they may not be able to make a trade with the Trailblazers due to the construction of the roster.

The most likely player for the Pelicans to be willing to trade is CJ McCollum. He has played incredibly well, and helped guide the offense when needed, but is aging and may not fit the desired competitive window anymore.

The problem with trading to McCollum is the fact that he has already played for the Trailblazers with Damian Lillard. That experiment already lasted far too long and never got anywhere close to a championship. This eventually led to him being traded to the Pelicans.

The Pelicans will likely want to keep both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, the building blocks of the franchise, so finding a third team could be greatly beneficial to the team.

What would a trade featuring the Wizards, Pelicans, and Trailblazers look like?

The biggest question on this trade is whether it’s enough for the Trailblazers. The biggest point is the fact that it gets them two role players who fit very well next to Lillard and a combo forward who could be a top three option on a championship team. With the 14th pick, they could also select Derreck Lively II, allowing them to put Jusuf Nurkic on the trade block and possibly net even more bench pieces.

Giving Lillard three forwards who can bring the ball up the floor and are all good to elite defenders is the best way to win with him on the roster. Further surrounding him with shooting and defense off the bench and finding an upgrade at the center position just raises their ceiling as a team.

After the Blazers agree, it’s easy from there. The Pelicans grab the third pick without giving up one of their centerpieces, allowing them to pair Scoot Henderson next to both Brandon Ingram and Zio Williamson.

The Wizards also turn a tough situation of Kyle Kuzma’s contract on a team looking to reconstruct the roster into a young point guard with high potential. This should be an automatic yes from the new front office, even if they must tack on Avdija.

Making this trade is the right move for the Washington Wizards and can only lead to good things as it allows them to move onto the next era of Wizards basketball.