PELICANS PICK UP TAYLOR FROM NETS FOR BAVCIC
The New Orleans Pelicans acquired point guard Tyshawn Taylor and cash from the Brooklyn Nets for the rights to forward Edin Bavcic.
What does it give the New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are still looking for depth answers at point guard with All-Star {P Jrue Holiday} out, and as a young team they should be able to give Taylor a long look. He can help spot {P Brian Roberts} for the next little while, and could potentially be a steal for New Orleans (as Taylor has above-average talent at the point position). That said, Taylor's still pretty raw and has to show he's ready to be an NBA regular.
What does it give the Brooklyn Nets
Bavcic is currently playing in Europe, and at the advanced age of 29 it's unclear if he'll ever play in the NBA or make much of a splash if he does. That said, the Nets have several European players, so maybe Brooklyn will be appealing to him eventually. Taylor didn't play much for the veteran-laden Nets this season (even with the team dealing with copious injuries) so getting some cap relief here by moving his salary makes some sense. It also opens up a roster spot, which could lead to Brooklyn adding another useful player.
Fantasy impact
Taylor's fantasy appeal can go nowhere but up with his arrival on the young Pelicans, but don't expect too much unless he earns regular minutes coming off the Pelicans' bench (which is far from a sure thing). His arrival might ensure {P Austin Rivers} plays more shooting guard than point guard, which doesn't help Rivers' fantasy fortunes. For the Nets this swap has little fantasy impact; Bavcic may never play in the NBA and is aging, while Taylor became expendable for them when they recently landed another young and unproven point guard ({P Marquis Teague}) in a related deal with the Bulls. The emergence of {P Shaun Livingston} as a rotation regular likely added momentum to this deal, and should limit Teague's involvement.
