The New Orleans Pelicans has been heavily involved in trade talks involving superstar Anthony Davis. With the trade deadline coming up fast, and the Davis situation still unresolved, New Orleans is reportedly exploring separate deals for Julius Randle and Nikola Mirotic.
Zach Lowe of ESPN, first broke the news about the availability of Julius Randle, Nikola Mirotic, and E'Twaun Moore during one of his podcasts last week. Marc Stein of The New York Times confirmed that the Pelicans are still exploring trade deals for Randle and Mirotic.
Separate from all things Anthony Davis, New Orleans continues to explore trades for Julius Randle and Nikola Mirotic in advance of Thursday's 3 PM deadline, league sources say — Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 6, 2019
That being said, the focus of the public still remains on the trade negotiations that could potentially send Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the New Orleans Pelicans general manager, Dell Demps, is reportedly probing the market to determine what kind of return Mirotic and Randle could bring back. Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reports that the Utah Jazz, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Brooklyn Nets, and the San Antonio Spurs have expressed interest in Mirotic. The sweet-shooting forward has been hampered by injuries and has only played in 32 games this season. Mirotic, a former Spanish League MVP, is averaging 16.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game this season. Despite being saddled by injuries, the 6'10 power forward is still shooting 44.7 percent from the field and a respectable 36.8 clip from beyond the arc. The Pelicans are reportedly asking for a first-round pick in exchange for Mirotic. A source knowledgeable with the situation is of the opinion that New Orleans' asking price is "excessive" due to Mirotic's injuries and the fact that Mirotic will also become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Meanwhile, Julius Randle is enjoying a breakout season. Randle is averaging 19.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, both career highs. While Mirotic is arguably the better offensive option between the two Pelicans, Randle is more considered more capable of playing two-way basketball. The risky part of acquiring Randle, however, is that the 2014 7th overall pick has a player option of just about $9.1 million in 2019-2020. That said, Randle would probably not pick up his player option and explore free agency. However, William Guillory of The Athletic reported that Randle is unlikely to be moved by the Pelicans.
Sources: While the Pelicans have explored potential deals involving Julius Randle, it's unlikely he'll be moved before tomorrow's trade deadline. He's developed a strong bond with the team's coaching/training staff and there's a good chance New Orleans could keep him long-term. — Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) February 6, 2019
The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly "pulled out" of the Anthony Davis trade negotiations. And while the trade deal is not dead, the New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly getting trade proposals from other teams including the Boston Celtics. The NBA trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on February 7.
