The five-player deal with Sacramento has received rave reviews on New Orleans’ end, but a less-discussed aspect of the transaction was that the Pelicans (23-34) had to trade three guards who’ve been important contributors at various times in 2016-17: starter Buddy Hield and reserves Tyreke Evans and Langston Galloway. With that trio leaving the Crescent City and heading to California’s capital city, it leaves New Orleans in a situation where backcourt depth is greatly reduced.
Partly as a result, the Pelicans signed Hollis Thompson, who’s best known around the NBA for his three-point shooting on some Philadelphia teams that struggled mightily in recent years.