The moment the new orleans Pelicans decided to form a twin-tower combo of All-Stars Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, it became clear right away what they need the most: spacing and shooting. Last season’s lineup obviously didn’t inspire much shooting. The Pelicans shot 35 percent from beyond the arc – that’s 19th in the entire league.
While Davis and Cousins are gifted front-court players, their effectiveness on the court will heavily rely on the shooting ability of their teammates on the floor. The deadlier they become from rainbow territory, the easier the work for the Pelicans’ front-court tandem will be down-low.
Unfortunately, the Pelicans’ ability to upgrade their shooters is capped by a whopping $84M in guaranteed salary for next season and Jrue Holiday’s impending free agency. In today’s NBA, shooters aren’t going to come cheap, especially if one develops a niche as a 3-and-D player. Then again, the Pelicans can still find quality shooters within the $5 million to $8 million price range. They may not be much help on the defensive end, but they can certainly shoot the lights out if given the green light to launch from deep.
C.J Miles
The veteran sniper pocketed $4.5 million after averaging 10.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 23 minutes per game during the 2016/17 season. Of course, Miles’ calling card remains his three-point shooting.
Last year, he registered a 41 percent clip from beyond the arc – which is by far his highest percent from deep over his 11-year career.
The 30-year old Miles will enter the free-agency market as one of the hottest shooters available. Again, he’s not a lockdown perimeter defender but he can hold his own against the best two-guards in the NBA.
As far as his shooting goes, Miles can be considered a streaky shooter.
Bojan Bogdanovic
For teams in need of a flat-out shooter and scorer, Bogdanovic is the right man for the job. Forget his defense. On the offensive end, the Croatian gunslinger is king. He split his 2016/17 season with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, and put up an almost identical scoring output.
In 23 minutes per game, Bogdanovic averaged 12.7 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 45 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point land. The Wizards would have to pay him double his 2016/17 season salary of $3.5 million to retain his service.
J.J Redick
If the Pelicans really want a flat-out shooter on their roster next season, why not spend $18 million per year for a career 41 percent three-point shooter like J.J Redick? With the Los Angeles Clippers prioritizing Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, Redick will more than likely be playing for another team next season. The Pelicans will have to let Jrue Holiday walk away – which is complete bonkers but not out of the realm of possibility -- and waive Alexis Ajinca and Omer Asik’s deal via a stretch provision in order for them to have a real shot at Redick.
