Pelicans: Possible NBA Draft trade partners from each conference
New Orleans Pelicans draft: Possible trade partners in the Western Conference
There only seem to be three teams in the West who have the right combination of assets as well as the desire to grab the 8th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Teams you can rule out
Suns, Grizzlies, Warriors, Mavericks, Jazz, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Spurs, Trail Blazers, Lakers
Possibilities
Rockets, Thunder, Kings
All of the teams on the first list fancy themselves contenders in a wide-open Western Conference and will be far more likely to be trying to add talent and not draft picks.
Even though the Clippers, Spurs, Trail Blazers and Lakers all missed the playoffs, they will be making moves to try and get back there, not trading way impact veterans for draft picks.
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That leaves the Rockets, Thunder and Kings, three of the four worst teams in the conference last season.
The Rockets have multiple picks and could package their later one with a player to try and get another top-10 draft pick to add to their rebuild. Shooting guard Eric Gordon and the 17th pick is probably not enough and I think Pels’ fans might riot if Gordon came back, though they could use his 41 percent 3-point shooting.
The only way the Pels would do a deal like this is if they thought there wasn’t much difference between the 8th pick and 17th pick.
The Thunder are team that could move up or down, as they have three picks in the first round. There have been reports that they will try to use their 12 pick to move up, and they have assets to do it. Would a package of Lu Dort and the 12th pick interest the Pelicans? The idea of him and Herb Jones terrorizing opposing offenses is intriguing.
The Kings, like the Pelicans, are reportedly hoping to use their pick to nab a player who can help them win now. The Pelicans don’t really have anyone that fits they’d like to give up, and a Devonte’ Graham and #8 isn’t enough to move up to the 4th spot. It’s possible they could work something around Harrison Barnes, but it’s hard to see without a third team being involved.
Long story short, there’s not a lot to work with in the West.