‘Realistic’ New Orleans Pelicans Trade Lands Rotation Piece in Perfect Trade

The New Orleans Pelicans would add a potential center to their roster in this trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Mar 27, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) shoots as Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Santi Aldama (7) defends during the first half at FedExForum. / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans are still in the market for a starting center, but given the lack of options on the free agency market, they could look to make a trade for the player they're looking for.

It'll be interesting to see who they end up getting, as it's a massive need. It's still relatively early in the offseason, so the front office has some time to search for offers around the league.

Ideally, they'd find someone who can shoot the basketball, but that's tough to find at the center position. Most shooting centers are either unavailable or have other issues in their game.

However, there are some out there, even with a few flaws, who could be decent options.

Dan Favale of Bleacher Report proposed a trade that'd help them find a shooting center and for a great price. Favale's proposal would move Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Matt Ryan, a 2030 second-round pick, and a 2031 second-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for Santi Aldama.

"Despite standing 7'0", Aldama has not taken up primary-center responsibilities during his time in the NBA. That's something with which New Orleans may have to grapple. But the opportunity cost here isn't too steep, and Aldama fits like a relative glove alongside Zion Williamson.

"The 23-year-old hits enough of his triples (36.1 percent on spot-ups, 38.2 percent on wide-open looks) to stretch the floor versus opposing bigs. And he offers enough of a floor game in space to provide offensive flexibility. Using him at the 5 next to Zion could get a little finicky against certain matchups. But the Pelicans have the perimeter stoppers to insulate both him and Zion, and Aldama isn't exactly a pushover at the basket."

As Favale wrote, the issue with Aldama is that he hasn't played a ton at the center position, being used as a power forward with the Grizzlies. However, at 7-foot, he certainly has the height to be one.

He doesn't exactly possess the type of skill set that a typical center would. More specifically, Aldama isn't a great defender and averaged just 5.8 rebounds per game.

The Pelicans would have to hope that his three-point shooting would outweigh his negatives, which is certainly a possibility. They also have two elite defenders, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy, in front of him, which could make his life easier.

It's an interesting idea, but if the price isn't much, New Orleans could benefit from taking a chance on him.