The New Orleans Pelicans are looking into acquiring a top lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft with the intention of taking Scoot Henderson, according to Shams Charania. Henderson is considered the top guard prospect in this draft class and is expected to be gone by the third pick if not earlier, so the Pelicans have some work to do.
Western Conference playoff contender seriously pursuing a top 2-3 pick in this month’s NBA Draft, with eyes on point guard Scoot Henderson: pic.twitter.com/UFCs9VEU7Q
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 12, 2023
The Charlotte Hornets have the No. 2 pick, but they could be taking Brandon Miller from Alabama there with LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier and James Bouknight all in the backcourt. That means the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 3 would have more leverage. The Blazers are already set at the guard spot, which means they could actually make an aggressive move for players who could help the team win now.
The Pelicans are also trying to win, so they’re unlikely to move any of CJ McCollum, Jonas Valanciunas, Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram in this type of deal. The No. 14 pick, along with Lakers swaps and future Lakers picks, are certainly on the table. Players like Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones and Jaxson Hayes could also be involved.
This is an aggressive play for the Pelicans, who would likely need to wait until draft night to pull off this type of move. Charlotte would be a tougher negotiating partner, simply because the Hornets are in a rebuild and would want more draft picks than players. Portland might be willing to move down for a win-now package, although New Orleans likely punts if any of those top four players are what Portland wants.