The New Orleans Pelicans have four picks in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, so they are going to be busy.
It’s unlikely that they would use all four of them, although there is some argument that they should just take four shooters in the second round and see if one of them sticks.
Another option is to try and package all four picks to move up to the top of the round or maybe even into the end of the first round.
The Pelicans currently have the 35th, 38th, 43rd and 53rd picks in the second round, so they do have some ammunition there to go along with all of their future picks.
Teams like the Thunder and Rockets might be willing to part with a later first-round pick to add more draft assets to their rebuilding rosters.
If the Pelicans were to try and move up, there are a number of guys who might be worth it. Here are three players the Pelicans should consider trading into the first round to get.
Pelicans draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Jaden Springer
Springer is a combo guard out of Tennessee who is usually mocked outside the lottery towards the end of the first round.
He ticks a lot of the boxes for what the Pelicans need, as he is already a very good defender and 3-point shooter who profiles as a guy who will improve even more in those areas.
He’s a good rebounder for his position, swiped 1.2 steals per game and shot 43 percent from 3-point range albeit on a low number of attempts.
He is the type of 3-and-D guard that the Pelicans need to add around Zion Williamson and if he is there at the end of the first round, the Pelicans should consider trying to trade up.
New Orleans Pelicans draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Ayo Dosunmu
I have liked Dosunmu for awhile, as he also checks a lot of boxes for what the New Orleans Pelicans need to add around Zion and Brandon Ingram.
Dosunmu is coming off his junior season at Illinois, so he is a bit older, which isn’t bad for a team whose best player still can’t buy beer.
Dosunmu still has a raw offensive game, but he is a tenacious defender, a good rebounder and playmaker and can run the floor.
He is 6-foot-5 and has a good wingspan, so he’s a guy who can potentially defend everyone on the perimeter.
There is a chance that Dosunmu will still be on the board when the Pelicans choose in the 30’s but there is also a chance that Dosunmu will get snatched in the first round by someone, as he might be able to come in and help a team right away.
Pelicans draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Cameron Thomas
Thomas is another guy who is projected to go around the end of the first round, though some team might draft him higher after he blew up in the NCAA tournament.
Thomas does one thing very well, which is score, and he can do it from all over the floor. He averaged 23 points per game for LSU and put on a display in the NCAA tournament, scoring 27 points in the opening round before dropping 30 on Michigan.
The Pelicans need someone who can come off the bench and score, as their bench unit was terrible all season and never really found a guy who could consistently get buckets once J.J. Redick started declining and was then traded.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker can potentially be that guy, but he might also be better suited for the starting lineup, so the Pels are going to need bench scoring.
If they could use some of their second round picks to move up and get a guy like Thomas, they should do it, as the Pelicans don’t have space for four second-rounders and they need someone who can help now.