Cue up the trade machines for the New Orleans Pelicans as new management decides what's the best method for their roster construction going forward. Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor stated that the team has no untouchables after a disappointing injury-filled season that saw them win only 21 games, after three consecutive seasons of postseason basketball.
While Zion Williamson is their best player and the biggest name to be acquired on the trade block, they have a talented assortment of players that would command interest. Two particular players have caught the eye of the Grizzlies' fanbase, and the below trade proposal shows just how interested they are.
Adding 3-and-D wings come at a cost
The Grizzlies are looking to upgrade their roster for postseason success, and Desmond Bane has been a popular name floating in trade circles around the fanbase following his disappointing playoff showing against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Specifically, his contract (nearly $38 million next season) isn't looking like a wise investment with the new second apron landscape.
This led to @AoSGrizz proposing a trade to the Pelicans on X (formerly Twitter) that had the Grizzlies fanbase not believing in its reality.
He proposed the Grizzlies trade Desmond Bane and added Vince Williams Jr. and their 2026 first-round draft pick as sweeteners to obtain Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones. That trade would be perfect for the Grizzlies as Murphy and Jones would add height to the Grizzlies' wing rotation, but would likely require more to execute.
New Orleans would likely not want to take on Bane's contract, as he and CJ McCollum would cancel each other's effectiveness in the backup as primary scoring guards. Also, it diminishes the height of the Pelicans' roster, especially after trading Brandon Ingram at the trade deadline.
Most Grizzlies fans in the comments believe the team would have to either add GG Jackson and more picks along with Bane and Williams Jr., or swap out Williams Jr. for Jaylen Wells and another pick. Trey Murphy III is coming off a career year with an average of 21.2 points with an advanced role due to the injuries to Ingram and Williamson, and would be an adequate replacement for Bane.
Adding Herbert Jones, one of the best defenders in the NBA, would be what makes the Grizzlies have to give up more, as Vince Williams Jr. isn't a proven commodity yet in games that matter. Memphis should explore an avenue to acquire at least one of those players, if not both, if the Pelicans are serious about expressing interest in revamping their roster.