Pelicans linked to Jarrett Allen trade again with Jonas Valanciunas on way out

The New Orleans Pelicans ended the 2023-24 season on a whimper; a campaign that had started out so promisingly ended in heartbreak when the Pelicans suffered a sweep in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. And now, major changes could be coming in the Big Easy. The main storyline surrounding the Pelicans is the future of Brandon Ingram, as it looks like the All-Star small forward is on the outs in New Orleans.

But it will also be interesting to monitor how the Pelicans fill out the rest of the roster. Trey Murphy III is due for a rookie scale contract extension, and it looks like the Pelicans will have to field a new face at the five with Jonas Valanciunas likely to sign elsewhere in free agency. To that end, it seems like they will throw their hat in the ring if ever there was to be a trade sweepstakes for Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen.

According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Pelicans view Allen as “one of their top options” to replace Valanciunas this offseason. As far as a potential trade package goes, Siegel pointed out that the Pelicans could then end up dangling away Brandon Ingram to the Cavs, with Caris LeVert joining Allen as the players headed to New Orleans in such a deal.

The Cavs are in need of a high-level wing player to take the team to the next level — could Ingram be the answer? For the Pelicans, is trading away Ingram, who’ll be in the final year of his deal, for Jarrett Allen and LeVert the best move, especially when there’ll be questions regarding the fit between Allen and Zion Williamson?

The Pelicans, however, aren’t expected to be alone in the Allen trade sweepstakes; the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder also emerged as two potential destinations for the Cavs big man.

Will exchanging JV with Jarrett Allen be worth it for the Pelicans?

Zion Williamson, despite sustaining yet another injury at an inopportune time, showed how dangerous he can be as the cornerstone of an up-and-coming Pelicans team. He is ever so dangerous when he attacks the rim with such ferocity, and when he gets going downhill, there might not be a more unstoppable player than him other than Giannis Antetokounmpo.

But Williamson, despite being one of the best at putting pressure on the rim, does not have much range on offense. He is limited to around the paint area, and with his rampaging slashing game, what he needs is a floor-spacing partner at the five to give him as much space as possible to work with.

Jonas Valanciunas was supposed to be that guy; alas, at heart, he is not a floor spacer. Rather, he is a post-up brute who is rather below-average on the defensive end. Valanciunas would have been dominant in the 1990s or early 2000s; alas, he plays in 2024, and while there’s a place for a player of his archetype, the Pelicans haven’t exactly shown that they value what he brings to the table.

More often than not, the Pelicans have leaned on Larry Nance Jr. as the team’s five man when it counts. New Orleans sometimes puts Williamson at the five, with Ingram, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy around to flank him. Valanciunas’ average playing time has decreased steadily over the past three seasons.

At the very least, Jarrett Allen will not be schemed out of the game on the defensive end. Allen is a mobile defensive big man who has the speed to cover a lot of ground on pick-and-roll defense. He would also the Pelicans with another dynamic lob threat, improving the team’s vertical spacing even further.

Allen has also shown greater feel in the playmaking department; the Cavs relied on him as an offensive hub when their other stars were injured, and he helped steady the ship. What he doesn’t do, however, is space the floor. Just how viable would a Williamson-Allen frontcourt be on offense with that being the case?

Teams can pack the paint against the two, and it’ll be easier to cover ground with two non-shooters on the floor. But the Pelicans’ paint attack will be difficult to stop. Williamson can then flourish as a short-roll playmaker as well, with Allen finishing a ton of lobs. Only 26 years old, Allen is right in the middle of his prime as well, and his arrival (and Ingram’s subsequent departure in this scenario) means that a ton of playing time will be opening up for Trey Murphy, who is one of the best marksmen in the association.

Dealing from a position of strength to fill an area of need is almost always a shrewd move in sports, so it’ll be no surprise if the Pelicans go all-in on Allen this offseason.

Major changes incoming for the Cavs