Offseason roundtable: Trades and free agents the Pelicans should explore during the 2015 summer

Spell out your dream scenario this summer. Free agent signings, trades, etc. How would you build this team this summer?

Oleh Kosel: Trade (main pieces): Nicolas Batum to NOP; Eric Gordon to IND; Roy Hibbert to POR

There are a number of teams looking to shake things up this summer. The two I'm eyeing are the Portland Trailblazers and the Indiana Pacers. With Arron Afflalo in tow and CJ McCollum's impressive play during the playoffs, I don't think it's just a rumor that Neil Olshey is looking to deal a disappointing Nicolas Batum. Before the Blazers matched the Timberwolves offer three years ago, Batum publicly stated he would love to be coached by his former mentor, Monty Williams.

About the time he was talking about his heart being in Phoenix, many thought the Pacers might be interest in Eric Gordon. Well, Larry Bird claimed that the Pacers don't go after restricted free agents because they cost too much. Now, he can kill two birds with one stone: adding more firepower from the wing and losing Roy Hibbert. Bird wants to see the Pacers speed up their pace next season and that includes giving Paul George minutes at the 4.

Due to the style change and because he's disappointed the last several seasons, Hibbert is no longer in Indiana's plans. With Robin Lopez faltering down the stretch and the Blazers needing to convince LaMarcus Aldridge to return, adding a big who won't steal LMA's shot attempts but will take care of paint area on defense is a priority. Hibbert, despite the recent drop in production, fits the bill, but if it doesn't work out, the experiment only costs POR one eason.

PG: Jrue Holiday, Norris Cole

SG: Tyreke Evans, Quincy Pondexter

SF: Nicolas Batum, Dante Cunningham, Luke Babbitt

PF: Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson

C: Omer Asik, Jeff Withey

{I still haven't decided whether it'd be best to start Tyreke or Quincy. Nice problem to have though!}

David Fisher: Re-sign: Omer Asik (4 years, $41M descending), Dante Cunningham (2 years, $6M+ via MLE), Norris Cole (3 years, up to $10M), Luke Babbitt (minimum), and Jeff Withey (minimum)

Let walk: Alexis Ajinca (will be too expensive) and Jimmer Fredette (hope you can find success)

This is not only my dream, but what I think has the greatest probability of occurring. It is fundamentally a "do no harm" approach to the future. Keeping as much of the rotation together while giving Ajinca's role as fourth big to Withey.  If done correctly the Pelicans will have nearly $20 Million in cap space the following summer. Considering both Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans will be in the final year of their contracts, one would almost certainly be moved to carve out space (and possessions) for a second superstar beside Anthony Davis. All while keeping a solid bench.

Quentin Haynes: Re-sign: Omer Asik, Alexis Ajinca, Norris Cole, and Jeff Withey

Draft: Purchase draft pick and select LSU’s Jordan Mickey and FLA’s Michael Frazier

Don’t even need to be first round picks. I would like New Orleans to acquire a NBADL team. Mickey and Frazier aren’t potential superstars, but both have certain skills that I like. Mickey probably isn’t anything more than a shot blocker, but the size/length combination intrigues me. As for Frazier, I just think he could be a nice shooter off the bench. No harm in trying and seeing if something comes out of it.

Trade: Tyreke Evans to Portland for Nicolas Batum

I don’t know why Portland does it, but hey, I like Batum. I like his offensive game, despite what occurred this past season. Defensively, he’s a tad overrated, but I still think he’d be an upgrade on the defensive end. I’m losing the additional ball-handling ability Evans provides, but I’m getting the three-point shooting and uptick in defense at the small forward position.

Free Agency: Jared Dudley (MLE), Justin Holiday, Greg Smith and Donald Sloan

I went with the full mid-level on Jared Dudley. A bit of a risky move (I wonder if that might be too little for him), but I like his ability on the offensive end, he’s versatile and could dabble at the power forward position in spurts and he offers some of the leadership needed off the bench. Justin Holiday isn’t anything special, but A) i liked him in spurts for Golden State and B) Holiday brothers together again. Greg Smith also falls into that "I really liked him at one point in time" category. Think he’s a fourth or fifth big and Sloan as the third PG for Holiday insurance makes sense to me.

Starters — Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon, Nicolas Batum, Anthony Davis, Omer Asik

Reserves — Ryan Anderson, Jared Dudley, Norris Cole, Alexis Ajinca

Bench — Jeff Withey, Donald Sloan, Justin Holiday, Greg Smith Jordan Mickey, Michael Frazier

Looks good to me. A nice starting five with three shooters around Davis. Makes the potential Anderson-Davis lineups look good, while also being able to defend on the perimeter. Also, I went with some larger wings. Gordon is six-foot-four, but Dudley and Pondexter are six-foot-seven and Batum is six-foot-eight. Length on the perimeter is nice. For the bench, I just grabbed some guys that I liked, who I think could give you a handful of minutes and nothing more. The rookies head to the D-League.

Kevin Barrios: I want to see us add is a post-up big man and perimeter defender. I laid out some moves that I'd like in a potential Jrue Holiday trade examination a few weeks ago.

I'd like the move to get Taj Gibson and Snell or Monroe and Caldwell-Pope, but I'd like to do so without moving Holiday. Otherwise, I'd like to see us add either Ed Davis, John Henson or Kyle O'Quinn during the off-season.

Isaac Constans: First off, I would like to thank the Bensons for hiring me as the new GM of the New Orleans Pelicans. To show my appreciation, my first move is one that should have happened years ago and that is the acquisition of Brandan Wright. He is the perfect player to allow AD to expand his game and lead this team to home-court advantage. Wright is a prolific shot blocker, averaging 1.7 returned packages per contest, good offensively (20.44 PER), and a above-average rebounder. And remember how I was talking about Ajinca's perfect compliment? Ta-da! Wright is lanky, athletic, rebounds decently well, and is used to sharing minutes, he has been for his whole career. And get this, he'll cost in the range of $5 million for a contract renewal, so the partnership of him and Ajinca is cheaper than Asik alone.

So who would they want? How would this work? Well, although I wanted Brandon Wright, I saw no way to make this exchange a simple one-for-one. And here's where people might start pulling out the monocles and being skeptical. Tyreke Evans, Omer Asik (sign-and-trade), and Luke Babbitt for Marcus Thorton, Brendan Wright, and Gerald Green. I know, I'm a hypocrite because I said I think that the Tyreke Evans belongs on the team as of now and could coexist. But this is dream, semi-realistic GM world, right? So we could resolve all problems and potential problems with the sign of a pen.

So, although I think Evans and Holiday could work, I think it requires a lot of work to avoid the plenty of potholes. Ultimately, neither player would be playing to their full potential either because they'd be counting touches and trying to do more with the ball. I think that works well if they're in different lineups, but then egos come into play. Gerald Green is accustomed and happy playing in a sixth man role, the one I've been saying would be perfect for Tyreke Evans if he were willing to accept it. Therefore, you could get those same points off the bench with no "who's the point guard?" debate.

Evans' style would be missed, but the combination of Green and Thorton could increase the points from that position and a healthy Holiday would compensate for the lost rebounds and assists. Thorton's contract is exorbitant, but it only has a year left to run and he might be willing to re-sign for a lower price because of the hometown connection. And we already know about how perfect Wright would be, and I know for a fact several fans share this desire.

So why would the Suns do it? Well, the Suns would be getting a center to hold down 25 minutes a game, and one that would allow the Morris twins to roam the perimeter, until Alex Len reaches his full potential. Evans, meanwhile, would be a great addition to the Suns starting five, and would allow them to push the ball while providing some veteran experience to a young starting team, without acquiring a time bomb. Just as importantly, however, the Suns would be cutting down on cap space by dropping Thorton and acquiring a cheaper Asik, and they would look to build a deeper team with the money.

Chris Cucchiara: My dream scenario, that I have tweeted for a few weeks now, would be:

a) Let Asik walk.

b) Trade Gordon for Hibbert.

c) Sign Danny Green.

d) Depending on how much money is left, make a run at D. Carroll.

Jamile Dunn: Well if we're dreaming then dream big. Eric Gordon opts out. Cavs lose in the second round and Kevin Love leaves Cleveland. A frustrated LeBron James opts out of his contract and decides to take talents to Smoothie King. Small forward problems solved.

My first dream is pretty unrealistic so i'll give you one more that has a greater than zero percent chance of happening (although not much greater than zero percent). Once again Eric Gordon opts out. The Pelicans make an unexpected big offer to Jimmy Butler. With Tom Thibodeau leaving, the perennially cheap Bulls decide not to match the offer and agree to a sign and trade offer including Ryan Anderson and a first round pick. The Pels then follow that up by agreeing to terms with Danny Green on a 3yr $24 million contract. Finally, the Pelicans resign Omer Asik to a reasonable contract (9-12 million) and move forward with a lineup filled with two-way players.

What I think actually happens is that the Pels mostly stand pat, resign Asik, and bet on better health and continuity to improve......but hey, we're dreaming.