Power forward Ryan Anderson is likely done for the season and center Jason Smith is out indefinitely, and that’s prompted New Orleans to look for a trade that would net the team a big man, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports amid his weekly power rankings. The Pelicans have been starting Anthony Davis and Greg Stiemsma on the front line, and their only other healthy big men are rookie Jeff Withey and the recently signed Alexis Ajinca.
New Orleans is set to acquire point guard Tyshawn Taylor for draft considerations from the Nets, so assuming the Pelicans don’t throw a player into that deal before it becomes official, they would have to include a player in a trade for a big man to stay at the 15-man roster limit. Everyone but Davis and Jrue Holiday is reportedly a candidate to be traded, according to a weekend report from Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, so perhaps GM Dell Demps is willing to engineer a shakeup. The Pelicans are 15-24 in a season that began with playoff aspirations.
Spears also mentions in his report that 6’11” Drew Gooden is working out in hopes of finding a spot on an NBA roster, so the 11-year veteran could be an option for New Orleans if the team goes the free agent route. Still, it doesn’t sound like the Pelicans have any interest in the 32-year-old.