New Orleans Pelicans looking to trade into first round of NBA Draft
According to Marc Spears of Yahoo, the New Orleans Pelicans are indeed regretting the mishaps they made during last year’s NBA Draft, and because of that, may want to go to some lengths to try to get themselves back into this year’s event, loaded with talent, to try and fill some holes on the starting roster.
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The Pelicans currently possess no picks in this year’s draft. They traded away their 2014 first-round pick Nerlens Noel to the Philadelphia 76ers during last year’s event to attain Jrue Holiday and Pierre Jackson. Holiday spent much of last season injured and Jackson has yet to play an NBA minute so many have criticized them for sending away their 2014 pick, hindering them in a draft many consider to be stacked with talent.
It comes as no surprise the Pelicans want to trade into this draft. They are in desperate need of a quality starting center, and really, a small forward of any kind.
They’ve done a lot of experimenting by playing Tyreke Evans and Ryan Anderson at the small forward position, but neither has really produced in that spot. Some have speculated playing Anthony Davis at the center position, but there are worries he’ll get too beaten up going inside against opposing centers, rather than playing the less physically overwhelming power forwards in the NBA.
As far as trade pieces go, the Pelicans have plenty of them.
There’s Pierre Jackson who lit up the D-League last year setting records and has some good trade value. There’s also Ryan Anderson, a fantastic stretch four, but there’s a lot of questions to whether the team can have both he and Davis on the same unit, since both are starting-caliber players.
The Pelicans have the talent to trade into the draft, the question is if teams with picks are willing to bite.