A dark horse for the Pelicans with the 10th pick in the NBA Draft

New Orleans Pelicans draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Josh Giddey

As currently constructed, I do not think Giddey is a great fit on the Pelicans just because he has too many overalapping skills with Lonzo, doesn’t bring shooting and isn’t a good enough defender to move the needle on that end for the Pels.

But there are a lot of moving parts this offseason, so there is no telling what the Pelicans’ roster will look like by the time the season starts.

Also, if he is similar to Lonzo Ball, then why not just keep Lonzo? He’s clearly better than Giddey at this point in their careers. The difference is that Ball might be making $20 million next season, a price tag the Pelicans might not be comfortable with, and Giddey will be on a rookie deal, which would allow the Pelicans to make additional moves.

The Pelicans also have a young project point guard in Kira Lewis Jr. and may not want to add another one, and if Zion Williamson is really going to play point guard next season, they may just want to surround him with shooters, which makes sense.

But what if the new coach doesn’t envision Zion in this role? A pass-first point guard with size who can defend and rebound is another way to take advantage of Zion’s unique skillset and Giddey is also a guy who won’t have to score to be effective.

Also, if the Pelicans were to make a huge move for a guy like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal, a guy like Giddey makes a lot more sense, as he can set up teammates and won’t require a ton of shots.

He might also be the best player available and if the New Orleans Pelicans are playing more of long game building around Zion Williamson, then taking the most talented player makes sense.

I think a lot of things would have to change for the Pelicans to consider Josh Giddey with the 10th pick, but depending on which direction the franchise plans to go, he is a guy to watch.