Pelicans trade Dante Cunningham to Nets for Rashad Vaughn

In a deadline day full of big trades, it’s important to not let the smaller ones go unnoticed. One of them, is the Pelicans and Nets swap of Dante Cunningham and Rashad Vaughn.

Shams Charania of The Vertical has reported a deadline day trade between the Brooklyn Nets and New Orleans Pelicans where both team are swapping wing players on minimum deals. The Pelicans are sending Dante Cunningham to the Nets for Rashad Vaughn.

The trade doesn’t have any significant effects on either team. Both players were down the pecking order at their former clubs.

The Nets are full of back-court options with Spencer Dinwiddie, D’Angelo Russell, Allen Crabbe, Joe Harris, Nik Stauskas, Caris LeVert, and Sean Kilpatrick on the roster. Jeremy Lin will also return from injury at the beginning of next season.

The Pelicans are very short on back-court depth. After Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday they are hoping for positive contributions from E’Twaun Moore, Ian Clark, and Jordan Crawford. All three players have been inconsistent this season so the Pelicans are hoping Vaughn can play his way into their rotation and be a solid rotational option if given consistent minutes.

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The Pelicans didn’t have minutes at the three for Cunningham with Darius Miller and Solomon Hill on their roster. It will be interesting to see if Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson finds him some minutes on his team.

DeMare Carroll is currently in front of him on the depth chart as are a number of players who play the three in the many different lineups that Atkinson trots out there such as Crabbe LeVert, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

Atkinson will most likely experiment with Cunningham and see if he brings anything helpful to the team. If he doesn’t, his deal will expire this summer — as will Vaughn’s — and the Nets will let him walk.