The New Orleans Pelicans finally had some good fortune come to their franchise. With only a 6% chance at the first pick in the draft, the Pelicans won the draft lottery. It’s both ironic and significant for more reasons than one. New Orleans’ 2018-19 season revolved around Anthony Davis and his trade demands being made public. It came to the point where Davis’ minutes were significantly reduced. When you heard about the Pelicans, most of the time it had something to do with where they were going to trade Davis. This isn’t the case anymore. The New Orleans Pelicans future could be bright.
With the Pelicans holding the first overall pick in the draft, this is where things get significant. The Pelicans are pretty much guaranteed to select Duke F Zion Williamson who might just be the most talked about NBA prospect since LeBron James in 2003.
That leaves the Pelicans perfectly set up for their future. This is to the point where they could be contenders down the line if they play their cards right. They hold Anthony Davis, who’s one of the NBA’s best players. As far as any team in the NBA is concerned, Davis holds the most trade value in the NBA right now. In addition, the Pelicans now have the opportunity to trade Davis for pieces to complement Zion Williamson. It’s a recipe for success, but there are many different routes New Orleans could take to ensure a franchise turnaround.
They Must Receive Enough For Anthony Davis
As I alluded to before, Anthony Davis has the most trade value in the NBA right now. Of course, there are better players, but none of them are on the trade block. There a number of teams that Davis can get traded to. The main question though is which of these teams can give the Pelicans the most?
Boston Should Be New Orleans’ First Call
The Celtics undoubtedly have the most intriguing trade package for Davis. When you look at their roster and at what they did this season, it’s clear Boston needs a roster shakeup. It’s unknown as to whether or not Boston’s front office wants Kyrie Irving to re-sign in free agency (I assume they do). But, wouldn’t trading for Davis lure Irving to come back to Boston?
Their roster was filled with good-to-great players but only one star in Irving. If Irving finally got that superstar to play alongside him, the roster would once again be a championship-caliber one and one that Irving can’t help but return to. Boston has the assets and the picks to finally get Davis out of New Orleans.
Celtics Trade: SF Gordon Hayward, SF Jayson Tatum, PF Rob Williams, 2019 First Round Pick (#22), 2019 Kings First Round Pick (#14).
Pelicans Trade: PF Anthony Davis, SG E’Twaun Moore.
New Orleans’ President of Basketball Operations David Griffin has expressed to the public what he’s looking for in an Anthony Davis trade. He stated he’d want draft picks, an elite role player, a young player projected to be a star, and/or someone who can further the Pelicans’ cause as a winner.
That proposed trade checks all of the boxes. Jayson Tatum (although having a down year) would be put in a position where he could indeed blossom into a star. In terms of an elite role player, Gordon Hayward is just that. In bits in pieces throughout the season, Hayward showed that he can still be the player he was pre-injury. As he continues to heal and get back to his old self, Hayward is only going to get better. The Pelicans would also be gaining another young player in Robert Williams who can be more productive than he was with Boston. Along with those players, the Pelicans would be receiving two additional first round picks in this year’s draft.
Overall, the Pelicans would have Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Jrue Holiday, Julius Randle, and two more first-round picks. That sounds like a team that would be built to dominate in the future.
Chicago and Los Angeles
It’s understood that the Pelicans have no interest in sending Anthony Davis to the Lakers. But, for the right price, they might just have to. Chicago is in the mix here solely because they’re interested in trading for Lonzo Ball. They’re willing to trade their first round pick for him. This leaves both New Orleans and Los Angeles with a perfect opportunity for all sides to capitalize on.
Bulls Trade: 2019 First Round Pick (#7) to New Orleans.
Lakers Trade: PG Lonzo Ball (to Chicago), 2019 First Round Pick (#4), 2021 First Round Pick, SG Josh Hart, SF Brandon Ingram, PG Rajon Rondo (all to New Orleans).
Pelicans Trade: PF Anthony Davis (to Lakers).
The closest thing to an established elite role player in this trade is Brandon Ingram. This is about how the Pelicans can set themselves up for a bright future. Like the Celtics trade, this trade does exactly that. This trade solely relies on Chicago’s interest in Lonzo Ball. Because of it, the Pelicans literally have the future of their franchise set.
With the players alone, New Orleans would have a core consisting of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Jrue Holiday, and Julius Randle. The Pelicans would have a roster full of players destined to develop them into a contending team.
Adding the draft picks, the Pelicans would now have three picks in the top 10 and two in the top five. Knowing that Zion Williamson didn’t originally want to come to New Orleans, drafting R.J Barrett would definitely boost his excitement. The two Duke players already have the established chemistry and are considered to some as the best two prospects in the entire draft.
New Orleans pulling the trigger on this three-team trade puts them exactly in the place they want to be, which is back to a winning basketball team. With all of these young players coming to New Orleans, you’d need a veteran to keep them in check. That’s something the Pelicans can worry about in free agency. You can certainly make the argument that this trade gives more to the Pelicans than the Celtics’ one.
Memphis and New York Give Up Their Top Picks
The Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Knicks hold the first, second, and third overall picks respectively. The realization I’m trying to make here is that with Anthony Davis, the Pelicans hold all of the cards. All three of these teams are looking to draft the future of their respective franchises. Knowing that fact, the Pelicans can use that to their advantage. They could even hold the first two overall picks in the draft.
Grizzlies Trade: 2019 First Round Pick (#2), PG Mike Conley (all to New Orleans).
Knicks Trade: 2019 First Round Pick (#3), PG Dennis Smith Jr, SF Kevin Knox, SF Mario Hezonja, PF Lance Thomas (all to Memphis), 2021 First Round Pick (via Dallas), 2023 First Round Pick (via Dallas), C Mitchell Robinson (all to New Orleans).
Pelicans Trade: 2019 Second Round Pick, PF Anthony Davis (all to New York).
Who says no? If we’re looking at this trade on a deeper scale, every team is getting what they want. Memphis still holds a top-three pick while gaining a multitude of young assets from the Knicks. With reports that they want to trade Mike Conley, why not send him to the Pelicans as well? Although they seem set on Ja Morant, having R.J. Barrett wouldn’t be a bad alternative.
In regards to the Knicks, they want to contend next year. Trading away all of their young players might be a stretch for just Anthony Davis. The risk becomes less detrimental, however, if they can sign a marquee free agent or two. As I alluded to before, the Knicks have no business drafting a player that must develop when they can just trade for an already established star.
And, the winner of this trade would be the New Orleans Pelicans. They’d hold both the number one and two overall picks in this draft. Along with Zion, they could draft Ja Morant or differ to drafting a player that Zion already has chemistry with like R.J. Barrett.
The Pelicans will have Zion Williamson, Mike Conley, Jrue Holiday, Julius Randle, and one of either Ja Morant or RJ Barrett at their disposal. On a team that will be filled with young players, having an established veteran such as Conley wouldn’t hurt in the slightest. With this trade, the Pelicans retain their pick, get rid of Anthony Davis, gain an established elite player, AND get two top-two picks in this year’s draft.
A World Of Possibilities
Who says that New Orleans even has to trade Anthony Davis? The Pelicans have a variety of options that they can go to that doesn’t have to involve shipping their star. They have to play up to par with their number one pick for Davis to be inclined to stay in New Orleans. And, if Davis stays, maybe some elite players of the 2020 free agency class want to link up with Davis, the probable number one pick Zion Williamson, and company.
Although it’s a longshot, if the Pelicans really want to solidify their future, they could even look at trading the number one pick. Considering there are stars who aren’t giving their respective teams what they need at the moment, the Pelicans should inquire about potential trades. From more reasonable trades such as those for Ben Simmons to unthinkable trades for even LeBron James, the Pelicans can explore all options to truly solidify their future.
Wrapping It Up
This offseason is due to be probably the craziest offseason in NBA history. And, to me, the Pelicans are at the forefront. With the highly-touted Zion Williamson and Anthony Davis in their hands, the Pelicans hold all of the cards. From blockbuster trades to surprise signings, the Pelicans seem almost guaranteed to have a bright future. They have the pick that teams want, and the superstar that all teams need. So, considering all of the above factors, the Pelicans are indeed set-up perfectly for a bright future.