NBA Draft Lottery: Pelicans should explore trading every pick, even #1

The New Orleans Pelicans are hoping for more luck in tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery.

They bucked the odds in 2019, when they landed the number one pick with only six percent odds to do so, and got even luckier that Zion Williamson happened to be coming out that year.

It takes a lot of luck to get a superstar in the draft, as you have to get lucky in the NBA Draft Lottery and land a top pick, but also in a year when there is a superstar. Oh, and you still have to choose the right guy, which is much tougher when there isn’t a Zion or LeBron in the draft.

This year could be one of those years, as Cade Cunningham has emerged as a consensus number one pick and a guy most agree will be a star. I don’t think he’s in the same category as Zion Williamson, but he’s as close to a sure thing as you can get when you are talking about predicting what teenagers will be.

The Pelicans aren’t far from being good and already have two All-Stars under 25, so even though there are some very talented players in this draft in Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs, the Pels could still look to trade the pick, even if they land in the top four.

New Orleans Pelicans: Drafting Cade Cunningham with the number one pick

The Pelicans have a 4.5 percent chance of landing the number one pick and if they were to get super lucky and do so, the best move is probably just to draft Cade Cunningham.

If you think he’s the next NBA superstar, then it’s a no brainer, as putting another talented playmaker and scorer next to Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram would give the Pelicans the best young core in the NBA.

They could move on from the Lonzo Ball soap opera, would have a little cap space to play with, and could have a potential homegrown super team in New Orleans.

I think there can still be an argument to move number one in the right trade (more on that later) but if it’s not number one, all options are on the table.