2019 NBA Mock Draft: The lottery order is officially official
Darius Garland. 7. player. 69. . PG. Vanderbilt
We already sorted through a potential Mike Conley trade for Memphis, let’s imagine what the roster might look like for David Griffin’s Pelicans after a potential Anthony Davis deal.
If New Orleans chooses the Celtics’ offer, here’s what they’ll have to build around going forward:
- Jayson Tatum
- Jaylen Brown
- One of Robert Williams III or Bol Bol
It’s unlikely Boston packages a signed-and-traded Terry Rozier or Gordon Hayward to give the Pelicans another starter who can help them now. More likely is they send Al Horford to New Orleans on what is effectively an expiring contract. That means Tatum, Brown, Williams and the Pelicans’ own youngsters are all that matters here.
In New Orleans, there’s not much. It’s basically Frank Jackson and Kenrich Williams, plus either Jrue Holiday or his replacements should Griffin trade the All-Star guard as well.
So what the Pelicans need is a playmaker to set the table for all the new youngsters. Garland does most of his damage with the ball in his hands, but a supporting cast as good as this would encourage him to make his teammates better as well.
Think about Garland, Holiday, Tatum, Kenrich Williams and Robert Williams. That quickly becomes one of the more interesting young groups in the league.