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Blazers: Five Teams That Could Poach Crabbe

By Steven Dewald

Dec 30, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Allen Crabbe (23) brings the ball up-court against the Denver Nuggets at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Allen Crabbe (23) brings the ball up-court against the Denver Nuggets at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 20, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis sits on the bench during the first quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Smoothie King Center. It was announced prior to the game that Anthony Davis would miss the remainder of the season with a left knee injury. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis sits on the bench during the first quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Smoothie King Center. It was announced prior to the game that Anthony Davis would miss the remainder of the season with a left knee injury. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

New Orleans Pelicans

Maximum Cap Space: $22.4

Current Shooting Guards: Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans

The Pelicans ran into massive injury problems in 2015-16, which led to them missing the postseason. Investing in a low-milage player like Crabbe could be a step in the right direction. Surrounding Anthony Davis with shooters also wouldn’t hurt.

Gordon is set to hit free agency this summer, which will leave Evans as the only real competitor for the starting shooting guard spot. While Evans has a solid set of skills, shooting is not one of them. Evans improved his outside shooting this year, but it wasn’t enough to move his career 3P% above 30%. Adding a quality shooter would help relieve the pressure that Davis faces on a nightly basis in New Orleans.

The Pelicans are the most cash strapped team on the list, so adding a player like Crabbe would likely eat into nearly all of their available funds. This would also mean that whey would have to part ways with Ryan Anderson. New Orleans currently has the sixth pick in the draft, which is in the draft range for Henry Ellenson. Ellenson could serve as Anderson’s replacement, while Crabbe would replace Gordon. This would help the Pelicans get younger and keep their outside shooting intact.

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