E.J. Liddell's NBA career will continue in Atlanta.
The former Ohio State forward was dealt from the New Orleans Pelicans alongside center Larry Nance Jr., guard Dyson Daniels and two draft picks for star Hawks guard Dejounte Murray on Friday.
Pelicans are also sending EJ Liddell to Atlanta as a part of the deal, source says. https://t.co/PNAexcCHEp
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) June 29, 2024
Liddell's career has struggled to get off the ground since the Pelicans selected him with the 41st overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft. He suffered a torn ACL that eliminated his entire rookie year in 2022-23 and played just eight games in 2023-24, seeing 23 total minutes of action with four total points and five rebounds.
There was some success for Liddell in the G League, however, as he averaged 17.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 26 games with the Birmingham Squadron.
Alongside Liddell, Nance and Daniels, the Pelicans sent Atlanta a 2025 first-round pick acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers and a 2027 first-round pick which will be the lower choice between New Orleans and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Nance, who is entering his ninth season in the NBA, played 61 games and averaged 5.7 points with five rebounds per game for the Hawks this past year. Daniels, paired with Liddell as the Pelicans' first-round pick in 2022, picked up 5.8 points with 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals per contest.
Murray, who New Orleans shipped off the five above-listed assets for, has averaged at least 20 points and six assists per game each of the past three seasons. An All-Star in 2021-22, he led the league with two steals per contest that campaign.
Liddell played three seasons with Ohio State, averaging 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in a first-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-American junior campaign prior to his departure for the NBA.
