The New Orleans Pelicans enter the 2024 NBA season without a real option for the center position. New Orleans lost significant depth this summer after trading Jonas Valanciunas, Larry Nance, Jr. and Cody Zeller in separate deals. They signed free agent center Daniel Theis and drafted Yves Missi with their first-round draft choice.
Theis is a below-average 6’0″ man who has spent most of his career as a migrant worker. Missi has potential but limited basketball experience. The Cameroon native played only three years of organized basketball before joining the NBA. Recently, a report circulated that Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler was not part of the team’s “long-term plan.”
Kessler is a former first-round pick out of the University of Auburn in 2022. He was traded twice before finally settling with the Utah Jazz. During his rookie season, Kessler started 40 games and averaged 9.2 points and 8.4 rebounds. Those stats earned him a selection to the NBA All-Rookie First-Team and seemingly a bright future in Utah.
In his second year, he was second in the league in blocked shots per game, behind only Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. However, Kessler started about half the games he started in his rookie season, and this summer the Jazz considered trade offers for him. The New York Knicks reportedly offered Utah a transfer package, but talks stalled and the trade never materialized.
The Pelicans had their roster at capacity after signing former Chicago Bulls forward Javonte Green earlier in the week. On Friday, New Orleans released high-scoring forward Matt Ryan, who appeared in 28 games for the Pelicans last season, putting them back at 14 and still just above the luxury tax threshold. The team has never paid the luxury tax in franchise history.
An attempt to sign Kessler will have to come with draft capital and a player. That could mean second-year player Jordan Hawkins is a potential trade item in the deal. Hawkins had a promising start to his rookie season, playing an average of 30 minutes per game and scoring 14.4 points on 36.7% shooting from the three-point line. Those numbers rose steeply over the rest of the year, with six consecutive DNPs down the stretch as the Pelicans battled for playoff position.
Hawkins also struggled in Summer League this year. In New Orleans’ five Summer League appearances in Las Vegas, he led the team with 3.6 turnovers per game. His shooting percentage from beyond the three-point line was a modest 23%, despite averaging the most minutes on the team.
A deal for Kessler with Hawkins could get the Pelicans under the salary cap and fill a large hole in the middle of the team. The Pelicans have the draft assets needed to make a deal, but the Jazz reportedly turned down a deal involving two future first-round picks for Kessler. It will be interesting to see if the teams engage in serious trade talks for the third-year center.
