New Orleans Pelicans continue to shop the No. 10 pick
One of the more intriguing storylines heading into the 2021 NBA Draft revolves around the New Orleans Pelicans and them wanting to trade Eric Bledsoe. The veteran guard is owed $37.5M over the next two seasons, with his contract during the 2022-23 season being partially-guaranteed and sources have told NBA Analysis Network that New Orleans remains “adamant” about wanting to unload the veteran guard and are willing to use their draft pick as an incentive to do so.
For weeks now, the Pelicans have been inquiring with teams about possibly moving down from No. 10 in this year’s draft and there have been plenty of teams that have been interested. New Orleans is focused on building with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson for the foreseeable future, but the contracts of Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams are not too favorable to their chances of building a team through free agency over the next several years.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has mentioned that the Grizzlies could be a possible trade partner for the Pelicans in trade talks surrounding Bledsoe/Adams and the 10th overall pick. Memphis does own the No. 17 pick in this year’s draft and they have Justise Winslow, who is owed $13M next season and a player the Grizzlies would like to possibly move this offseason.
Taking on a smaller contract like Winslow’s at the expense of moving down in the draft could definitely prove useful to the Pelicans, especially since Lonzo Ball is a restricted free agent along with Josh Hart on the wing. New Orleans is going to need cap space to potentially bring back one or both of these guys, but they could also be targeting “bigger fish” in free agency.
READ MORE: NBA Draft Rumors: 3 trade scenarios for Warriors involving No. 7 and No. 14 picks
Their chances of being a great team in the Western Conference are limited right now due to the fact that the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, Suns and Jazz are all top-tier teams in the league, but the Pelicans are expected to pursue Kyle Lowry this offseason according to Marc Stein of The New York Times.
In order to possibly sign Lowry the Pelicans will not only need to have cap space to do so, but they will need to move on from contracts such as Bledsoe’s and Adams’, which is why they could be willing to sacrifice their 10th overall pick to make this happen.
READ MORE: NBA Draft Rumors: 3 trade scenarios for Warriors involving No. 7 and No. 14 picks
The Pelicans, along with the Grizzlies, Knicks, Thunder and Rockets are expected to pursue opportunities to move around in this year’s draft, which could make for plenty of fireworks on Thursday night. New Orleans is in a tough position as a franchise right now with two young, All-Star talents to try and build around. This team is not close to being a true contender, but this offseason is very much “make or break” for them.
