The New Orleans Pelicans have been looking for chances to improve the roster and have made guard Devonte Graham available for trade, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com.
The mid-season acquisition of CJ McCollum forced Graham to the bench. The Pelicans are unsure of the pairing of Jose Alvarado and Graham as the second-unit backcourt duo.
Graham averaged 11.9 points per game and 4.2 assists per game on 36.3/34.1/84.3 shooting splits over 28.4 minutes per game in the regular season.
Despite playing a key role in the regular season, Graham’s minutes dropped dramatically during the first-round series vs the Phoenix Suns.
Despite being a solid three-point shooter and shot creator, his defensive deficiencies and the $36 million he owed for the next season might make it difficult for the Pelicans to trade him.
While that contract isn’t entirely unmovable, the Pelicans may need to attach assets in order to get teams interested.
Rebuilding teams might be interested in case the New Orleans’ franchise is willing to add a first-rounder in the mix.
With no.8 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft Dyson Daniels also in the squad, Graham might find it difficult to secure the minutes he wants in the rotation.
As Clark noted, New Orleans is not expected to make any “earth-shuttering” moves until the start of the season. It remains to be seen if a minor move will include Graham.
