New Orleans Pelicans Reportedly Discussed Acquiring Second Star This Summer

The New Orleans Pelicans had some internal discussions about making another trade after acquiring Dejounte Murray.

Jan 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) runs into Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the first quarter at Smoothie King Center. / Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans made one major trade during the 2024 NBA offseason. They bolstered their backcourt, acquiring Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, E.J. Liddell and two first-round picks.

On paper, Murray looks to be a great fit for the Pelicans. He will help them in crunch time as a player who will get his teammates organized and into positions to succeed offensviely. It is an area the team struggled mightily last season.

A strong defender, Murray will not only help keep but potentially improve the level of play that Willie Green has developed on that end of the court. However, this is a roster that could still use some more adjusting.

Green will have his hands full given the logjam present on the wing. Trey Murphy is ready for an expanded role, but Brandon Ingram remains in the mix. That has 2023 first-round pick Jordan Hawkins buried on the depth chart as well.

Swapping out Ingram in exchange for some frontcourt help would be an ideal outcome. Alas, that is easier said than done to accomplish, as the market for the former All-Star has been very quiet.

The lack of player movement certainly isn’t because of a lack of trying on New Orleans’s part. They have been active in the trade market, even after acquiring Murray from the Hawks.

According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, they looked to make another splash to upgrade their frontcourt. Internal discussions were had about the possibility of adding Lauri Markkanen to the mix.

“It is worth mentioning that the New Orleans Pelicans held internal dialogue about the possibility of adding Markkanen even after they had already acquired Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks, sources said,” per Siegel.

That is certainly an interesting bit of information. Reports earlier this summer connected the Utah Jazz to the Pelicans, but as a suitor for Ingram to pair with Marrkaken in Salt Lake City.

Ingram to Utah could still be a possibility, but Markkanen being on the move is not. Trade rumors around him will cease to exist until the 2025 NBA offseason. After agreeing to an extension with the Jazz earlier this month, he is ineligible to be traded before the deadline in February.

Markkanen would have certainly helped balance out the Pelicans rotation. While not a traditional center, he has logged 29 percent of his minutes in Utah at the center spot and 58 percent at power forward. He would have provided the team with another go-to scoring option who can soak up minutes in the frontcourt.