The New Orleans Pelicans need help at the three, especially with Solomon Hill now out for most, if not all, of the season (and he was already a small-ball four playing out of position). They are so desperate for a three they are turning on the Wayback machine and working out Josh Smith.
The problem, the Pelicans are inching close to the hard cap (a position they put themselves in using exceptions to add players this summer after re-signing Jrue Holiday). They need some flexibility.
Enter a trade to clear cap space, something first reported by Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports and quickly confirmed by Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com.
Bulls are trading for Quincy Pondexter and receiving a second round pick from the New Orleans Pelicans, sources tell https://t.co/Wi2L33BR3e
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) August 31, 2017
To be clear, the Pelicans are sending a second round pick to Chicago to get them to take on Pondexter, who hasn’t played since 2015 due to a chronic knee injury, and he isn’t expected to suit up this season. It’s been no secret the Pelicans have been shopping Pondexter for a while. The Bulls did this for the pick.
Now we will see what the Pelicans do with that cap space as they try to get some shooting and help around Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, and Holiday.