Pelicans Have Spoken To Kings, Cavs About Josh Hart

The Pelicans and Kings have discussed a trade of guard Josh Hart for shooting guard Buddy Hield, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

Hart is a restricted free agent, so New Orleans could only move him in a sign-and-trade arrangement.

Meawhile, Hield’s name has been swirling in trade rumors all offseason, including those that have linked Sacramento to 76ers star guard/forward Ben Simmons.

Still, as Fischer noted, the Pelicans-Kings talks were a couple of weeks back and it’s not known if such a trade scenario remains under consideration.

“New Orleans and Sacramento were said to be discussing a Buddy Hield-for-Josh Hart sign-and-trade baked into the Pelicans’ draft-week deal with Memphis, although it’s unclear if that dynamic remains plausible as Hart is still unsigned,” Fischer wrote.

More recently, the Pelicans have spoken to the Cavaliers about a potential Hart sign-and-trade, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

As Fedor noted, the Cavs have been hoping to land a perimter shooter in free agency, and while they haven’t completely given up on the idea, the vast majority players who fit such a description have already signed. So Cleveland may be moving on to other options.

Hart, 26, is 6-foot-5 and averaged 9.2 points and a career-high 8.0 rebounds in 47 games last season. Recent talk around the NBA suggests he would like to move on from the Pelicans.

Hield, 28, averaged 16.4 points, 4.7 points and 3.6 assists, but shot just 41 percent from the field, in 71 games.