The Who Dat Daily.Com News Staff

Big Q & DC recaps the New Orleans Pelicans finalizing a trade to send Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe and two future first-round picks — including the 10th overall pick in Thursday’s NBA draft — to Memphis for center Jonas Valanciunas and the 17th overall pick, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Determined to create significant financial flexibility in free agency next week, the Pelicans are including the 2022 Lakers first-round pick — protected to 10 — in the trade, sources said. Memphis (51) and New Orleans (40) are also exchanging second-round picks in Thursday’s draft, sources said.

The deal moves the Grizzlies into the lottery at No. 10 of a deep 2021 draft and allows them to add another significant piece to an already playoff tested core of young players. Memphis could have three first-round picks in 2022, including protected picks via Utah and the Lakers.

New Orleans has the salary cap space now to match an offer sheet for restricted free agent guard Lonzo Ball, or pursue unrestricted free agent point guards in the marketplace, including veteran All-Star Kyle Lowry. The Pelicans are also working to resign restricted free agent Josh Hart.

The Pelicans could have as much as $36 million in salary cap space, if they were to lose Ball and Hart. The room drops to $25 million if Ball left, but Hart stayed.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted that because of the salary involved — $14 million for Valanciunas, $17.1 million for Adams and $18.1 million for Bledsoe — the trade cannot be finalized until Aug. 6, when free agency begins.

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