The New Orleans Pelicans will have five picks entering the 2021 NBA Draft and could use them a number of ways.
They currently have what would be the 10th pick (lottery pending) in the first round and the 36th, 40th, 42nd and 53rd picks in the second.
This is projected to be a deep draft, so the Pelicans may be able to find impact talent with a later lottery pick or even in the second round.
But what are their top priorities going into the draft? The first would be that they need at least one player who can play and has an NBA-ready skill.
The Pelicans already have plenty of young talent and prospects who are raw and developing, so it would be nice to emerge from this draft with a player who can contribute, even if that guy doesn’t come from the draft at all.
Here are the top three priorities for the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2021 NBA Draft.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels should trade their draft pick
The New Orleans Pelicans are led by 20-year-old Zion Williamson and 23-year-old Brandon Ingram. They already have Kira Lewis Jr., Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as high ceiling young talent that needs more time.
Do they really need to add another rookie to this team? Obviously, if the right guy fell to the Pelicans at the 10th or 11th pick, they should take him, but if not, they should be looking to package that pick along with Eric Bledsoe’s contract for a player.
It’s too early to guess who that player might be, but if the Pels can use Bledsoe’s contract and their draft capital to get a better player, they should.
A guy like Malcolm Brogdon would be a realistic target in this scenario depending on whether the Pacers decide to blow it up.
Whoever it is, the Pelicans are a player or two short if they want to make the playoffs next season and they are unlikely to find a teenager with the 10th pick who is going to fill that need.