Suggested New Orleans Pelicans Trade Would Land Two Key Rotation Players

A suggested New Orleans Pelicans trade would land two key pieces with the team.

Mar 16, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson (2) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans are heading into the year with a major situation surrounding them.

Brandon Ingram has been mentioned as a trade option since the beginning of the offseason. He has been unable to make progress in extension talks with the Pelicans and still seems like a player who could be trade.

At this point, he likely begins this campaign with New Orleans, however, a move before the NBA trade deadline still seems like a very good possibility of something getting done on this front.

Keeping that in mind, a lot of trade suggestions have been made involving Ingram.

Fadeaway World recently suggested an intriguing scenario where the Pelicans would pull off a trade with the Brooklyn Nets.

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith

Brooklyn Nets Receive: Brandon Ingram, Jordan Hawkins, 2026 Second-Round Pick, 2028 Second-Round Pick

Looking at the trade, New Orleans would be getting two key pieces for their rotation. Both Johnson and Finney-Smith would come in and make an immediate impact.

Giving up Ingram would be a tough loss. The 26-year-old forward is an elite scorer and has been a huge part of the franchise for multiple seasons, however, this trade would make the move well worth it with what they would be getting in return.

Bringing in both Johnson and Finney-Smith would more than make up for the loss.

Johnson is coming off of a year that saw him play in 58 games and start in 47 of those appearances. He averaged 13.4 points per contest to go along with 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. In addition to those numbers, he shot 44.6 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from the three-point line.

Finney-Smith, on the other hand, averaged 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, while shooting 42.1 percent from the floor and 34.8 percent from the three-point line.

Right now, the roster looks talented enough to compete at a high level in the Western Conference. Replacing Ingram with Johnson and Finney-Smith could actually improve them.

All of that being said, this is just a suggestion and there is no reason to think this trade has even come up, but if it did, the Pelicans would be wise to pull the trigger.