Pelicans Leaving Options Open For No. 21 Pick In NBA Draft

New Orleans has a few options available with their first-round pick in the NBA Draft.

Sep 26, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin during a press conference at the New Orleans Pelicans Media Day from the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans, LA - With the first round of the NBA Draft taking place Wednesday night, the New Orleans Pelicans are finalizing what they intend to do with the No. 21 pick. Most draft analysts predict New Orleans will draft an available big man out of a deep center position draft. A new report suggests New Orleans is still open to trading out of the pick altogether, leaving the Pelicans with several options to explore Wednesday evening.

Keep The Pick

New Orleans decided to defer the Lakers pick swap until next season, with this draft considered weaker with the lack of impact players at the top. The one name that has continued to become synonymous with the Pelicans is former Baylor center Yves Missi. He completed a pre-draft workout with New Orleans, and according to reports, the Pelicans were impressed with him. The pick makes sense with the Pels in desperate need of frontcourt help.

Jonas Valanciunas is an unrestricted free agent this summer. New Orleans does not expect to re-sign him, which means Larry Nance, Jr. and Zion Williamson are all you have on the roster in the frontcourt currently. Missi's impact would immediately be felt defensively. He averaged more than two blocks per game during his freshman year in college. Offensively, he has much progress to make but can attack the basket on rim runs and is a freakish athlete on the boards. If he is not available and the Pelicans are not high on Kel'el Ware from Indiana, the Pelicans could...

Feb 24, 2024; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears center Yves Missi (21) blocks the shot by Houston Cougars guard Jamal Shead (1) during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports / Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

Trade Back In The Draft

New Orleans currently does not have a second-round pick until 2030. The Pelicans traded Devonte' Graham and four second-round picks to the Spurs in 2023 for Josh Richardson. While many do not view second-round picks as the Holy Grail, those picks can prove valuable to trade for cash considerations or attach to a player to facilitate a trade for salary cap relief. They are also low-risk, high-reward value propositions if you draft a player there. The Pelicans second-round pick in 2021 just made the All-NBA Defensive First-Team this season. Sometimes you never know.

A big man should be priority No. 1 in this draft for New Orleans, but not at the expense of drafting someone who doesn't align with your vision. Trade back to secure more future assets. Or you could...

Use The Pick To Facilitate A Brandon Ingram Trade.

The writing seems to be on the wall for an Ingram/Pelicans split. New Orleans is unwilling to offer him the max, 4-year, $208 million contract he's eligible for and Ingram reportedly is unwilling to take less than the max. When both parties won't compromise, they are usually heading for a divorce. NBA insider Marc Stein thinks Ingram could be traded as early as this week. If so, a draft day trade makes the most sense for teams navigating the draft and impending free agency. Depending on the haul back, New Orleans may have to forgo this year's pick to entice a team in an Ingram deal.

Apr 21, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) reacts to an offensive foul call against him on a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter of game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Reports are the Pelicans have had conversations with the Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers concerning Ingram's availability in trade. Teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks make sense from an asset return partner to help the Pelicans in immediate roster needs. With the uncertainty of his trade market, New Orleans could dangle this year's pick to get a deal done quicker.