Ryan Anderson is almost on the move.
According to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the New Orleans Pelicans, who have been all over the place with trade rumors, are working feverishly to offload Anderson, a free-agent-to-be, somewhere else:
The New Orleans Pelicans are pushing hard to find a trade for forward Ryan Anderson, whom they expect to lose in summer free agency, league sources said.
Teams trading for Anderson believe he’ll command a starting salary of $16 million-$18 million a season in free agency.
New Orleans and Detroit had serious talks on an Anderson deal in the past few days, sources said, but the Pistons ultimately reached an agreement with Orlando on a trade for Tobias Harris on Tuesday.
The Pelicans are struggling to get back significant value in a trade for Anderson. Washington has talked with New Orleans on a deal, sources said, but paying Anderson the $16 million-plus he can get on the market this summer would preclude the Wizards from clearing the max salary space it needs to pursue Kevin Durant.
It’s tough for the Pelicans to expect anything or anyone of real value in return for Anderson. His impending free agency renders him a flight risk, and expiring contracts have never been less valuable. Most teams will have cap space this summer anyway and don’t need the extra $8.5 million in wiggle room Anderson would create. And for those interested in keeping him, they’ll most likely have the scratch to pursue him outright in free agency.
Suitors that don’t have the requisite flexibility must weigh the cost of acquiring and, eventually, paying Anderson against what he brings to the table. Is it really worth forking over assets for the right to pay a fringe star tens of millions of dollars?
Thus, the Pelicans’ dilemma. Their best bet is to either hold onto Anderson and let his money come off the books or hope against hope there’s a team willing to take a flyer on Omer Asik if they’re also getting Ryno.
