NEW ORLEANS — The Pelicans made a move at the trade deadline, but it wasn’t the one people were expecting.
According to Sham Charania with The Athletic, New Orleans sent JJ Redick and Nicolo Melli to the Dallas Mavericks in return for James Johnson, Wes Iwundu and a second-round draft pick.
Redick was expected to be traded or sign a buy-out offer with the Pelicans at the deadline, but Melli was rarely brought up in trade speculation.
The two former Pelicans add shooting depth for the Mavericks, while New Orleans receives a veteran player on an expiring contract in Johnson along with a young player still on his rookie deal in Iwundu.
There was a lot of speculation that the Pelicans could trade starting guard Lonzo Ball, who’s set to become a restricted free agent after this season. New Orleans didn’t accept any offers though, making him a Pelican for at least the rest of this season.
The Pelicans tip off again against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
