New Orleans Pelicans Tried to Trade for Eastern Conference Guard

The New Orleans Pelicans tried to pull off a major trade for an Eastern Conference young guard.

May 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) celebrates after hitting a three point basket during the second half against the Orlando Magic in game seven of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans ended up pulling off one big trade this offseason. They were able to acquire Dejounte Murray in a big trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

However, it has been reported that they attempted to make a move for another Eastern Conference guard.

According to a report from Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire, the Pelicans tried to make a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers for young starting point guard Darius Garland.

“The New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs tried to trade for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland this offseason, an NBA source told Hoops Wire. The Cavaliers told the Pelicans and Spurs they weren’t trading Garland, the source said.”

Garland would have been an intriguing pickup. It was not reported whether New Orleans wanted to pair Garland with Murray or whether they pivoted to a trade for Murray after they couldn't get Garland.

During the 2023-24 NBA season with the Cavaliers, Garland ended up playing in 57 games. He averaged 18.0 points per game to go along with 6.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals.

In addition to those averages, Garland shot 44.6 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 37.1 percent of his three-point attempts.

Despite not acquiring him, the Pelicans appear to be in a very good place heading into the 2024-25 NBA season. They look like a team that could be a potential contender in the Western Conference.

Right now, barring any other moves, they will have a "big four" of Zion Williamson, Murray, C.J. McCollum, and Brandon Ingram. There is still a chance that they could trade Ingram.

Could those four players lead them to contending for a deep run in the playoffs?

A lot of that will depend on Williamson and his health and production.

If Williamson can stay on the court and play to his full potential, the sky is the limit for New Orleans. On the other hand, if he struggles with injury issues yet again, they will likely come up short of their goals again.

All of that being said, hearing about their trade interest in Garland is interesting. However, they seem to have had a great offseason regardless and are gearing up for the start of the 2024-25 NBA season that is coming up very quickly.