NBA Draft Lottery: Pelicans should explore trading every pick, even #1
New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft Lottery: Trading a lower pick in a package for a star
If the Pelicans stay in their draft range, which is most likely to be 10-12, then they should definitely consider packaging this pick to try and get a proven star.
Although there are still some very good players projected to go in this range, guys like James Bouknight or Corey Kispert, who could help the Pelicans shooting, there probably isn’t a franchise-changing talent in that range.
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You are either looking at an older player with a lower ceiling or a very raw one, and the Pelicans already have a few of those in Jaxson Hayes and Kira Lewis Jr., who both showed flashes but are still developing.
If the Pelicans could find a star player on a team looking to rebuild, they might be able to package that pick with a young player to get a more established star.
Guys like Malcolm Brogdon, Kevin Love or even Ben Simmons could be available for the right package and could probably help the Pelicans a lot more than the 10th pick in this draft.
If the Pels get a lower pick, you can bet they will be scouring the league for trades, as they already have plenty of young guys and still have a ton of future draft assets.