Fansided

2019 NBA Mock Draft: When trades enter the equation

By Brendon Kleen

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 25: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans stands on the court during the second half of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Smoothie King Center on February 25, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Philadelphia 76ers won the game 111 - 110. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 25: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans stands on the court during the second half of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Smoothie King Center on February 25, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Philadelphia 76ers won the game 111 - 110. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 08: De’Andre Hunter #12 of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrates his three point basket basket late in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA men’s Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 08: De’Andre Hunter #12 of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrates his three point basket basket late in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA men’s Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

66. . F. Virginia. De'Andre Hunter. 7. player

Not only does new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin move superstar Anthony Davis in our hypothetical draft night tradepalooza, he also moves on from All-Defense guard Jrue Holiday, firmly resetting the Pelicans going forward.

Unsurprisingly, Holiday heads to Phoenix in this dreamt-up deal. The Suns are the NBA franchise most desperate for a point guard, and want to improve quickly under new coach Monty Williams. Not coincidentally, the Suns also now employ the braintrust that brought in and developed Holiday early in his Pelicans tenure, in Williams and new SVP Jeff Bower.

Here’s the trade:

Phoenix gets Jrue Holiday, No. 3 overall pick

New Orleans gets Tyler Johnson, Josh Jackson, Elie Okobo, No. 2 overall pick, No. 32 overall pick

Not only do the Pelicans come out of this trade with a pick swap, but they take the Suns’ second-round pick this year for the price of taking on Tyler Johnson’s enormous 2019-20 salary. The combined price tag of Johnson and Josh Jackson next season effectively ends New Orleans’ ability to generate cap space from this trade. However, they also take back Elie Okobo, a promising young scoring guard who flashed some NBA-level shot creation ability as a rookie.

So with this pick, Phoenix finds its power forward of the future in Hunter while also nabbing a veteran point guard in Holiday.

Check out our full scouting report on De’Andre Hunter.

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