Projecting Pelicans' Future Draft Picks

The New Orleans Pelicans have stocked up on draft capital since David Griffin took charge. Now the team has to gauge where these pick might fall before the well runs dry.

Author:
Chris Dodson
Jun 27, 2022 4:51 PM EDT

In this story:

New Orleans Pelicans

Milwaukee Bucks

Los Angeles Lakers

The New Orleans Pelicans have stocked up on trade market draft capital since Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin took charge. The trades of Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday have paid off, delivering Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Herb Jones to the Crescent City. However, the NBA Draft well is soon to run dry, giving the front office a small window to parlay the picks into a bigger prize. Projecting where those selections might land helps to determine their value.

2023: Rooting Against AD's Lakers

The Pelicans will be hoping for another down year from the Los Angeles Lakers. New Orleans has the right to swap for the lower, better pick. The Pelicans will only have a second-round pick if they miss the playoffs. The Lakers falling back into the lottery is a better bet, which is good news for a New Orleans roster that is about to get luxury tax expensive.

L.A. can only do so much to improve a roster built around Lebron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. The Lakers traded into the second round to save money. Barring a big move, the Lakers will likely be fighting for a play-in spot. The L.A. Clippers at full strength can lay claim to being the best team in town.

The West is deeper than ever before behind the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, and Dallas Mavericks. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, and the Pelicans will all believe they are better than these Lakers. New Orleans hopes to be right, getting another lottery pick like Dyson Daniels in the process.

Nov 28, 2021; Stockton, CA, USA; G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels (3) drives between Stockton Kings guards Damien Jefferson (22) and Ade Murkey (9) during the first quarter at Stockton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

2024: Bagging A Trophy Buck

New Orleans made the Jrue Holiday trade betting the Milwaukee Bucks would be on the tail end of their championship runs. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s contract will start to become a conversation and New Orleans can be rewarded handsomely with a pick swap. The Pelicans just need to have a better 2023-24 season than the Bucks.

The Pelicans own the 2024 Lakers' pick though they can defer that part of the Davis trade until 2025. The front office has time to survey the standings and evaluate the draft classes before making that decision. New Orleans also owns two second-round picks in 2024, their own and one from the Chicago Bulls.

Including those two second-round picks should be enough to unload Jaxson Hayes, Garrett Temple, or Devonte’ Graham to make room for E.J. Liddell. The first-rounders from the Bucks and Lakers could be used to land a playoff-ready contributor.

USATSI_18135009_168388561_lowres — Apr 22, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes (10) is defended by Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) in the first quarter of game three of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

2025: Deferred Or Depleted Draft Capital

The Pelicans will start to run out of draft assets in 2025. They have their own pick which is expected to be in the late-20s, the possible deferred selection from the Lakers which could land in the lottery, and a protected pick from the Bucks. The Pelicans do not control at 2025 second-round pick at the moment. Getting any future picks back in an unbalanced trade would boost future draft inventory.

2026: Title Window, Empty War Chest

From 2026-2029 the Pelicans control all of their picks, a pick swap option with the Buck in 2026, and the Milwaukee 2027 selection. The war chest will have run dry barring a big move to restock the coffers. It’s doubtful the team moves on from any of the stars that would bring in such a haul soon. Only Jonas Valanciunas and CJ McCollum would make sense in any future deal given their ages and contracts.

Given the timelines, it is a reasonable expectation that Griffin will make one more big move using the surplus of draft picks. Another playoff run would line up Vice Presidents David Griffin, Swin Cash, Aaron Nelson, and General Manager Trajan Langdon for contract extensions.