New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: 4 Players to select with a top 10 pick
By Nick Alvarez
Looking at 4 players who could fit the New Orleans Pelicans if they acquire a top-10 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft
What a week it has been for the New Orleans Pelicans. Not only is the organization preparing for the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft where they have 4 selections, but it appears that the Pelicans are also getting ready to make a big move around that time too.
What type of move could that be? Well, for those of you following the rumors, you probably already know that Shams Charania announced that the Pelicans are reportedly shopping Jrue Holiday.
This week though, those reports reached feverish levels of hype when the Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor suggested that the Atlanta Hawks want to acquire Jrue Holiday for a package surrounding the 6th pick, while the Boston Celtics also want to trade their picks into the top 10 to flip for Jrue Holiday.
If you want to know what I make of this, it sounds like the Pelicans have told teams that they want a premium draft pick for Jrue Holiday, and some of those squads are willing to oblige. So now let’s take a look and see who the New Orleans Pelicans could be targeting with a potential top-10 pick.
New Orleans Pelicans Target #4- Isaac Okoro, Wing, Auburn
The first player that I think the New Orleans Pelicans could consider with a move into the top 10 would be Isaac Okoro. Right now, Okoro is mocked by many evaluators to go in the 7-10 range of the draft, and he’s a player that could fit perfectly on the New Orleans Pelicans.
Okoro’s a wing who’s game is entirely built on defense. He’s elite at defending opposing wings and guards while even being athletic enough to handle some big men too. That ability could be something that the New Orleans Pelicans really like because it’s wildly known that the team needs a defensive wing to improve their lackluster defense.
Beyond that though, Okoro is a prospect with loads of potential on the offensive end of the floor too. He’s still a younger player and very raw. Many evaluators have suggested that his athleticism and raw ability remind them of how Kawhi Leonard entering the league.
With the New Orleans Pelicans having Stan Van Gundy and assistant coaches like Bob Beyer and Fred Vinson it’s entirely possible that they could turn Okoro into an All-Star caliber player. For that reason, Okoro might be a player that the Pelicans covet moving up for.
He’s not the only player they could covet though.