After snapping a four-year playoff drought in the 2021-22 season, the New Orleans Pelicans took a step back this past year, getting bounced in the Play-In Tournament.
Zion Williamson’s inability to stay on the court has seriously hurt New Orleans’ ceiling. And while the rest of their roster is solid, anytime a team is missing an All-NBA caliber star, they aren’t going to reach their potential.
Now, the Pelicans may have to plan for two different timelines – one where Williamson is healthy and able to help them compete and one where they shift into a rebuild with long-term plans in mind. Or, the sneaky third option, a world where Williamson isn’t a part of their future.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, they may be planning for the latter, as he reported that the Pelicans are seriously pursuing a top-three pick in the 2023 NBA Draft in hopes of landing Scoot Henderson.
5 trades for the New Orleans Pelicans to move up and draft Scoot Henderson
Adding Henderson to the roster would give the Pelicans a blue-chip prospect to build around, giving them the freedom to go in a bunch of different directions with the rest of the roster.
Should they trade Brandon Ingram to pair Henderson with Williamson moving forward? Should they trade Williamson to do the same with Ingram? Should they attempt to trade neither?
The San Antonio Spurs might as well have given their first-overall pick to the commissioner already, as it’s going to be Victor Wembanyana, leaving the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers as potential trade partners.
Let’s explore five different trades the Pelicans could make with those two teams in an attempt to land Henderson.