NBA Draft Rumors: New Orleans Pelicans might be looking to trade up to 2nd pick for Scoot Henderson
The New Orleans Pelicans are exploring a ton of options right now as they're reportedly willing to trade their assets to acquire draft prospect Scoot Henderson.
The Pelicans have the 14th pick in this year's draft and are reportedly looking to engage in trade talks with the Charlotte Hornets, who have the second pick.
Henderson is one of the top prospects in this year's draft as he has the potential of becoming the top pick. However, with Victor Wembanyama in his draft class, Scoot could be picked second overall by the Hornets in the 2023 NBA Draft.
With his talent, the Pelicans are apparently willing to "aggressively" acquire him, even if they have to give up what they currently have.
BREAKING: The Pelicans will “aggressively” pursue a top pick in this years NBA draft, per @ShamsCharania.
They have their sights set on Scoot Henderson. 👀 https://t.co/XdEqOWbtry
The Hornets already have LaMelo Ball on their roster and could look at drafting Brandon Miller, a star forward. Experts speculate that if the Hornets draft Miller, the Pelicans will pursue a trade to acquire the third pick.
The Portland Trail Blazers have the third pick of the draft and have reportedly been exploring their options as well. The Trail Blazers are looking to either pair Henderson with Damian Lillard or trade the pick to give their star an All-Star teammate.
The second option is perhaps ideal for the Pelicans' plan in getting Scoot in the draft.
Report: Damian Lillard ‘actively’ recruiting free agents to Portland Trail Blazers ahnfiredigital.com/nba/portland-t…
New Orleans will likely have to trade away Zion Williamson, who has had major injury issues since his rookie year. If they get the Trail Blazers to agree to a trade, Williamson could give the team a chance to become a playoff team, when healthy.
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Is it time for the New Orleans Pelicans to move on from Zion Williamson?
The New Orleans Pelicans have been extremely patient with their All-Star forward since drafting him first-overall back in 2019. However, Williamson hasn't done anything significant for the team due to his injuries. In the last four seasons, he's only played 114 games for the team.
The most games he's played for New Orleans were during his second season in the league, where he saw 61 games of action. After that, he followed it up with a 2021-22 campaign where he was sidelined as he dealt with a broken foot the entire season. His fourth year was similar to his rookie season, as he only played 29 games.
Williamson hasn't been a reliable star for the Pelicans. It could be time for the franchise to move on from him and have a fresh start. Trading for a top pick to acquire Henderson could be a good plan for the organization moving forward.
Also read: Moriah Mills responds to Zion Williamson grooming allegations, says the New Orleans Pelicans star "contacted her first"