NBA Free Agency 2017: 5 offseason targets for the New Orleans Pelicans

5. Bojan Bogdanovic

After the Pelicans acquired Cousins in February, they allocated substantial minutes to some two big lineups that yielded promising results. These lineups, which featured both All-Star bigs, Holiday, and two (theoretical) shooters on the wing, tended to have highly positive net ratings in significant minute samples (per NBA Stats). E’Twaun Moore and Solomon Hill were part of many of them.

Replacing Hill with a guy like Bogdonavic could make those lineups deadly on the offensive end. Hill provides little spacing from the three spot, but Bogdanovic has demonstrated that he’s a dangerous marksman over the past three seasons. He shoots 3-pointers well from the corners and above the break. His range can open up the floor for Davis and Cousins, who will need every inch of space they can get whenever they share the floor.

Bogdanovic was lighting the world on fire from 3-point land in Washington as the Wizards rolled into the playoffs. While much of that success was due to John Wall’s uncanny ability to create open looks for his teammates, Bogdanovic should be effective with competent point guard play. He can also play some backup four, although his defense at that spot is suspect at best.

In general Bogdanovic is not a good defender. He lacks the quickness to deal with many wing players, and he isn’t long enough or stout enough to bother bigger players. Signing Bogdanovic won’t alleviate all of the issues the Pelicans face on the wing, but given their lack of resources he would be a good signing for them. He’s a restricted free agent that will attract multiple offers though. Getting him even at the full MLE, which starts at $8.4 million under the new collective bargaining agreement, is going to be tough for New Orleans. If they do get Bogdanovic to sign an offer sheet, Washington’s willingness to match may depend on whether or not they re-sign Otto Porter and how close they are to the luxury tax.