The New Orleans Pelicans have had a relatively quiet offseason so far, which is a good thing, as last year’s was filled with uncertainty and drama.
With 14 players already under contract and Zion Williamson returning to a team that made the playoffs without him, the Pelicans have a lot of options when it comes to the 8th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
The Pelicans can certainly just add another young talent to their roster, trying to set themselves up for sustained success while still putting a competitive team on the floor right now.
But they could also go for a “win now” move, and this offseason will likely come down to the decision to be patient or go for a big trade.
One NBA insider thinks it could be the latter and listed the New Orleans Pelicans as a team to watch in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Report: Pelicans willing to trade the 8th pick
According to NBA insider Marc Stein (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED) the New Orleans Pelicans are one of the teams that might try to trade their draft pick for what he called “win now compensation.”
Stein also named Washington and Portland as teams that might try to move their picks for a proven player and said that Memphis could try to use their two first-round picks to trade up.
It makes some sense for the Pelicans, whose roster is already full of young talent and doesn’t really need any more young players to develop. This pick may not even crack the rotation for the Pelicans, so getting a veteran who can help now would allow them to take advantage of the window they have with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum.
But I can also see the argument for keeping the pick, as having a steady stream of cheap talent is how you are able to have three max contracts at the top of your payroll.
If the Pelicans do decide to trade their pick, they will have plenty of options.
New Orleans Pelicans: Grabbing future assets
One type of trade would be for the Pelicans to use their pick to move back in exchange for either a lower pick and a player or a player and a future first-round pick.
In this scenario, the Pelicans would hope to find a player who can help them now without losing a first-round pick.
There may be some interest in the Washington Wizards, though they are reportedly looking for a proven point guard. Would a Devonte’ Graham/8th pick for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the 10th pick work?
The OKC Thunder are a team reportedly looking to use their 12th pick and possibly Lu Dort to move up in the draft, which may be a deal that appeals to the Pelicans for the 8th pick.
It seems unlikely that the Pels would trade with Memphis (who have have the 22nd and 29th picks) but if they threw in a player? It’s still a long shot but is possible.
The point is that if the Pelicans want to trade for a mid-tier player and a lower/future pick, they can probably find a team out there with the right package.
But it’s most likely they make a splashy move.
New Orleans Pelicans: Draft trade for an impact player
Another type of trade would be if the Pelicans moved their pick without getting back another one, which may net them a better player.
They could potentially move the contracts of Garrett Temple and Devonte’ Graham along with the 8th pick, for a player who could make an impact for them now.
Some names that have been mentioned in the past are guys like Jerami Grant, Harrison Barnes, Ben Simmons and John Collins. While none of those players may end up traded it gives you some idea of the caliber of player they could expect to get back, though these are still long shots.
It may not seem like a great return for a top-10 pick, but if they can get off those two contracts at the same time, it makes the trade more valuable for the Pelicans.
In the end, the 8th pick probably isn’t enough to get a true star but may be too much to give up for a guy who figures to be the 4th or 5th scoring option on the roster.
David Griffin and the New Orleans Pelicans will certainly explore all of their options when it comes to the 8th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but in the end, may not find a deal that is worth it.