David Griffin and the New Orleans Pelicans are heading into a new era of basketball this season. After making the blockbuster trade to send Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Pelicans now have the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the 2019 NBA Draft. Zion Williamson is the obvious pick at No. 1, but the No. 4 pick is completely up in the air.
New Orleans could target a player like Darius Garland or Jarrett Culver with that selection, or they could look to move it. Rumors have been circulating that the Pelicans would like to acquire a veteran piece with that selection.
While keeping the pick and taking another young player to add to the rebuilding process may seem like the right move, there are quite a few reasons why the Pelicans should move the pick. Griffin and company still have Jrue Holiday on the roster, but adding more veteran players would be ideal to help mentor the youngsters.
It's going to be an entertaining draft, to say the least. Quite a few teams are looking to make big deals. That alone will help New Orleans should they choose to aggressively shop the pick.
All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at three reasons the Pelicans should move the No. 4 pick.
3. They Likely Aren't Going to Get Another Star at No. 4
The draft mainly views this year's draft class as a three-man race. Williamson, Ja Morant, and R.J. Barrett are considered the three franchise-changing players in the draft. New Orleans is going to get Williamson, but the Memphis Grizzlies are going to take Morant and the New York Knicks are likely going to take Barrett.
New Orleans isn't going to get another franchise-changing player at No. 4. They could, however, get a really good player by trading the pick that will help them immediately.
2. Acquiring Future Assets Could Be Key
Even if the Pelicans can't get a star in return for the pick, they could acquire future assets. That would be an ideal situation for a team going into an aggressive and fast rebuild. New Orleans could stack up on future picks and add talent to their core over the next couple of years.
Getting a solid player and a future pick or two would make a lot of sense for the Pelicans.
1. New Orleans Could Try to Acquire a Big-Time Center
Finally, the Pelicans could consider targeting a big man with the pick. After Julius Randle decided to opt out and enter free agency, there is a hole in the front-court without Davis. Some have suggested that the Indiana Pacers could get involved in trade discussions for the No. 4 pick and the Pelicans could try to get either Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis.
Both of those players would fit in perfectly with what New Orleans need. Other teams have big men that could fit as well, including the Cleveland Cavaliers with Kevin Love. Either way, the Pelicans could very well acquire a front-court asset to round out their starting lineup.
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