The New Orleans Pelicans are interested in acquiring the 6th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft from the Atlanta Hawks
How many times can we make the joke about this being a never-ending offseason? It turns out we can make it pretty much every time, as yet again another New Orleans Pelicans rumor is entering the mix.
It only makes sense though, we’re officially a week away from the 2020 NBA Draft and that’s normally when we start to get whispers about what teams are trying to do. This time, the whisper comes from The Ringer’s NBA Insider, Kevin O’Connor. His recent tweet is suggesting that a lot of teams have interest in the Atlanta Hawks first-round pick that sits at 6th overall.
Sources: The Timberwolves are attempting to acquire a second lottery pick. They’ve had talks with the Hawks for #6. A possible deal could include Jarrett Culver and #17.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) November 11, 2020
A number of teams are interested in Atlanta’s #6 pick—the Pelicans and Celtics being among them, sources say.
As you can see among those teams interested in that selection is, of course, the New Orleans Pelicans. This is report is very interesting for those of you thinking about what the Pelicans are planning. After all, many fans thought that the team might be looking to add a veteran star to their roster.
This report indicates just the opposite and shows that the Pelicans might actually be committed to their gradual growth with young homegrown talent. So now the question becomes how do the Pelicans get the 6th pick if they’re interested in it?
That’s an easy question to answer. As we’ve written here before, the Pelicans would send Jrue Holiday to the Atlanta Hawks to complete the deal. In fact, the Pelicans might even get a couple of players in that trade too.
What’s really interesting to think about now, is who does the team want to select with the 6th pick that might not be available at pick 13? Well, O’Connor actually indicated who the trade-up target could be too.
Who would teams be moving up for? Sources say FSU wing Patrick Williams is a main target. The Wolves are high on Iowa State guard Tyrese Haliburton.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) November 11, 2020
Williams scouting report: https://t.co/NtQipFKwKj
Haliburton scouting report: https://t.co/cfSfAvNdjl
Draft night will get wild.
Now, this would be interesting! Patrick Williams is a young developing wing who’s rising draft boards as we speak. The New Orleans Pelicans having an interest in him could indicate that the team is committed to building a roster build on length and athletism.
With Stan Van Gundy coaching the team too, it seems like the Pelicans might be revealing to us that they’re trying to turn themselves into a hyper-athletic version of the Golden State Warriors.
This is definitely something that fans need to keep their eye on, and we could be getting ready for a second consecutive franchise-altering draft!