NBA Draft: Pelicans Reportedly Looking to Draft Scoot Henderson

New Orleans is expected to aggressively pursue a trade in order to land Scoot Henderson in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Per a report from the Athletic’s Shams Charania, the New Orleans Pelicans are expected to aggressively pursue a trade for second or third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft in order to draft G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson.

Western Conference playoff contender seriously pursuing a top 2-3 pick in this month’s NBA Draft, with eyes on point guard Scoot Henderson: pic.twitter.com/UFCs9VEU7Q

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 12, 2023

Charlotte currently holds the second overall pick and Portland the third. In order for the Pelicans to make a serious run at Henderson, they’re going to have to pry a pick from one of those teams, one of which could be much easier than the other.

The Trail Blazers have been vocal about surrounding superstar Damian Lillard with win-now talent, so much so that they could be looking to offload their top pick.

But the Hornets have, thus far, appeared to be completely content selecting one of Henderson or Alabama’s Brandon Miller in that range. But a few new pieces could be at play, making a deal potentially more tantalizing for the Hornets.

Any deal centered around the second or third picks would assuredly need to involve one of Pelicans’ stars Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram, either of which could pique the interest of the current pick-holders.

Portland would likely love to pair Lillard with either of the star forwards, injury history aside for Zion Williamson. And while the Hornets seems to have their eyes set on a prospect, the thought of coupling point guard LaMelo Ball with a hyper-scorer in either could be intriguing.

One interesting wrinkle to the Pelicans’ plan is that Charlotte has yet to meet one of the potential prospects in the second pick’s range. Henderson worked out in Charlotte on Sunday, but Miller is set to visit the team on Tuesday.

Regardless, Charlotte is going to have to make decisions sooner rather than later with the impending draft.

“Expect the Hornets to further solidify their draft board as this week closes,” Charania said.

The 2023 NBA Draft kicks off at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 22.

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