New Orleans Pelicans: 3 Teams to monitor during the 2020 NBA Draft
By Nick Alvarez
The New Orleans Pelicans should have their eyes out for these three teams that could be players in the 2020 NBA Draft
We’ve finally made it. It may have felt like an eternity for NBA fans, but we are here, a week away from the 2020 NBA Draft. Just one week away from finding out what type of offseason plan the New Orleans Pelicans are setting in motion.
Of course, anyone who monitors the draft could tell you that is event isn’t just about what your team does, but also about what teams around the league do too. As the Pelicans begin to try to shake-up their roster with potential moves, some other key teams will be too.
Some of those teams might even make moves with the Pelicans, while some might just be loading up to make marquee moves that could hinder the Pelicans’ attempt at playoff contention. So who should the Pelicans and their fans be monitoring in the 2020 NBA Draft? The answer is everyone, but I’d say specifically these three teams.
With recent rumors blazing through the NBA, the New Orleans Pelicans have to keep their eyes on the Phoenix Suns
No. 3- Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are starting to get aggressive in this offseason to prove that their run in the bubble last season was no fluke. How exactly do they plan on doing that? According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Suns plan on proving that they’re turning the corner by talking to the Oklahoma City Thunder about acquiring All-Star point guard Chirs Paul.
Right now, Windhorst suggests that these talks are only in their initial stages, but that means that the Suns could announce a deal on draft night. That deal would surely be the first blockbuster move of the NBA offseason. And they might not even have to give up their lottery pick to make it happen.
The reason why I think the New Orleans Pelicans need to monitor that situation on draft night is that the Suns are a team in a similar position as them. They are a young and upcoming team in the Western Conference who are trying to reach the playoffs.
That means that Pelicans and Suns are two teams in direct competition with each other, both trying to complete the same goal. If the Suns add Chris Paul and then another talented first-round pick, then watch out because that could be the start of an offseason arms race for teams in the Pelicans’ tier of contention.