The New Orleans Pelicans front office is reportedly looking to make a huge splash with the 2023 NBA Draft beckoning. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Pelicans are looking to trade up for either the second or third overall pick of the upcoming draft with the intention of drafting Scoot Henderson in mind.

Given the Pelicans' warchest of assets, it shouldn't be too difficult for them to entice either the Charlotte Hornets or Portland Trail Blazers in a potential trade. But trades aren't made in a vacuum. The Hornets, in particular, may not be too keen on trading away the second pick, especially when they're coming off a 27-win season.

If the Hornets were to trade the second overall pick, which, again, they've shown no intent in doing so, they should only do it for a player who's sure to elevate their franchise from mediocrity. And at the moment, it's not quite clear if the Pelicans have that caliber of a player who could serve as the transformative presence for a historically-battered Hornets franchise.

Nevertheless, the Pelicans, despite drafting and managing assets well for the past few years, haven't really tasted success yet. Thus, changes may be afoot for them, especially with the core of the team beginning to be expensive. And that should behoove them to make what could be a franchise-altering trade for both parties involved.

Here is the trade the Pelicans must offer to entice the Hornets into giving up the second overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram and Kira Lewis Jr. to the Hornets for the 2nd pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, Gordon Hayward, and Cody Martin

Why New Orleans makes this trade

Losing Brandon Ingram will sting. Ingram may have had his fair share of injury woes this past season, but when he got into a rhythm late in the year, he was playing like a man possessed. Since returning from injury in late January, Ingram averaged 26.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.4 assists, emerging as the Pelicans' undisputed best player as they made a late push for a playoff spot that only fell short at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With the considerable uncertainty of the Zion Williamson situation, it may not be the best idea to trade away a 25-year old do-it-all wing who may not have reached his peak yet. Ingram, if Williamson is healthy, is one of the best secondary stars in the NBA, a valuable insurance policy who could keep the offense afloat whenever the main guy is either managing his load or rehabbing from injury.

But it takes talent to acquire talent. The Hornets will be asking for the world for the number two pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. Given the names thrown around for the Blazers' third overall pick (Jaylen Brown, Mikal Bridges, Pascal Siakam), anything less than a return involving Brandon Ingram would be a major disappointment for the Hornets.

For the Pelicans' sake, they will be hoping that Scoot Henderson makes an immediate impact, and that Trey Murphy III is ready to take on a bigger role on offense. Murphy, at the moment, isn't too much of a shot-creator, as he specializes in catching and shooting as well as using his athleticism when attacking closeouts. But at 22 years old, he could very well take a major leap in Year 3.

Meanwhile, Henderson should give the Pelicans a ferocious presence at both ends of the floor at the point of attack. Henderson gets to the rim at will, and his athleticism and defensive tenacity should help him overcome a lot of the issues that may arise from his lack of size. But for the Pelicans to remain in the playoff hunt, Henderson will have to seamlessly transition to the professional level — and there's no reason why he can't given how highly regarded he is among NBA circles.

CJ McCollum, should the Pelicans keep him, could then flourish as one of the best sixth men in the NBA, giving way for a starting lineup of Henderson, Murphy, Herb Jones, Zion Williamson, and Jonas Valanciunas. McCollum could then combine with Gordon Hayward to carve up opposing benches. Hayward or McCollum could start in a pinch as well, especially when the lack of spacing with Henderson, Jones, and Williamson becomes untenable. Hayward is an injury-prone player, but perhaps in a more limited role with the Pelicans, he could remain much more durable.

(During the 2018-19 season, Hayward played in 72 games after breaking his leg the season before. That's the most he's played in a single season over the past five years, and his bench role with the Boston Celtics during that year may be to thank.)

Meanwhile, Cody Martin may very well channel the energy his brother showed in the 2023 NBA playoffs and emerge as an unheralded weapon off the pine.

But if the Pelicans trade McCollum, they could end up being major players during free agency in 2024, as Hayward's contract will have expired by then. In 2024, Jaylen Brown could be hitting free agency, someone whom the Pelicans can target to, perhaps, fill their Brandon Ingram void by then. As much of a debate there can be had regarding who the better player is between Ingram and Brown, the Boston Celtics wing has a better track record of success even if Ingram has the deeper offensive bag.

Trading away Williamson is preferable to dealing away Ingram at the moment. That is certainly the sentiment Pelicans fans hold. But given Williamson's off-court troubles as of late, not to mention his infuriating inability to stay healthy, there might not be any willing takers for him. Thus, dealing away Ingram is the Pelicans' best shot at acquiring the number two pick, as heartbreaking as that reality may be.

Why Charlotte makes this trade

If the circulating reports are anything to go by, then the Hornets are more likely to draft Brandon Miller over Scoot Henderson. Miller, on paper, is definitely the better fit alongside LaMelo Ball — a do-it-all, sweet-shooting wing who could develop into a go-to scorer from the perimeter.

But there is considerable uncertainty surrounding Miller. Miller doesn't exactly have the cleanest track record off the court as well, which may be the last thing the Hornets franchise needs in light of the Miles Bridges development.

And why draft someone who could become Brandon Ingram when you could trade for the man himself?

Bringing in Ingram is certainly a great use of the second overall pick. Ingram could take on the Hornets' primary scoring duties, forming a lethal duo with Ball on that end of the floor. The Hornets struggled to score the basketball during the 2023-24 season (scoring just 108.4 points per 100 possessions — a full 1.3 points worse than the 29th ranked team) and Ingram helps fix that problem.

Ingram is only under contract until the end of the 2024-25 season. But the Hornets have time to build a team good enough to contend for the playoffs in two years with Ingram and Ball in town — a team that's good enough to, perhaps, convince Ingram to stay in the Queen City for the long haul.

Moreover, if the Hornets do re-sign Miles Bridges, then they might be in better shape on the court, as much of a PR disaster that might be. A trio of him, Ingram, and Ball should be more than enough to challenge for 40 to 45 wins even in a tough Eastern Conference.

And if things don't work out, they could always flip Ingram for more assets — given the trade inflation surrounding All-Star caliber players these days, acquiring one for the “low” price of one first-round pick (it is a good pick though, it must be said) is already a good price in and of itself, even if it doesn't make the most sense for where they are in their contending timeline.