The Pelicans’ most intriguing NBA Draft decision isn’t the No. 1 overall pick

After agreeing to trade away superstar Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers, the New Orleans Pelicans gained the No. 4 pick, their second high selection in the 2019 NBA Draft. Winning the draft lottery last month means they’ll have Zion Williamson land in their hands at No. 1, but the Pelicans now have multiple options for handling the selection just three picks later. They can move the pick for either a young player or trade down for more assets, and there is also the chance they just keep No. 4 to themselves and select a sidekick to help out Williamson.

Let’s take a look at their choices.

This is the easiest and simplest option for New Orleans.

If the Pelicans keep the pick, Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver and Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter should be at the top of their draft board. Culver, who is one of the more unique prospects in the draft, is a versatile wing defender who can make plays off the pick-and-roll. He would give the Pelicans an extra ball handler on the floor and would do well in a supporting role.

Hunter would be a big help on the defensive end with his 7’2 wingspan. Like Culver, he can switch on the perimeter and hold his own. Offensively, he’s an efficient scorer, with a true shooting percentage of nearly 62. Hunter displayed some ability to stretch the floor at 43.8 percent. However he did it with a small sample size, taking only 5.6 three-point attempts per 100 possessions, as opposed to Culver, who took 7.7 attempts per 100 possessions. Head coach Alvin Gentry can get creative with the Pelicans’ frontcourt lineups and possibly run a duo of Hunter at power forward and Williamson at center.

Both players can contribute right away and be long-term partners alongside Williamson as the future of the franchise. Anyone the Pelicans take at No. 4 would be on the same timeline as Williamson and grow along with him.

With their current roster, it’s not out of line to believe the Pelicans could make a run for the playoffs. Williamson will be able to contribute from day one. Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are solid young players, if not better than that. Incumbent guard Jrue Holiday has been one of the best two-way guards in the league. If things turn right for the Pelicans, they should be in the playoff mix.

Adding a young, but established veteran to this group would only strengthen their chances. Players like Chicago Zach LaVine or Washington Bradley Beal would give the Pelicans a scoring boost and help spread the floor with their three-point shooting.

As the main bucket getter for Chicago last season, LaVine showed a major uptick in production and scoring efficiency. His true shooting and effective field goal percentages both went up by more than six points last season. Although he has his problems defensively, LaVine would fit in with the timeline of this Pelicans team at 24 years old, and can excel in a role where he doesn’t have to do all the work offensively.

Beal was in a similar position at Washington. With the loss of John Wall, he completely took over the reins as Washington’s main offensive option, averaging nearly 26 points per game on a slightly above average 58.1 true shooting percentage. A decent three-point shooter as well, Beal will be the top offensive options for the Pelicans, but won’t have to do it all by himself.

Problem is, New Orleans probably has to give up more than just the fourth overall pick to get either. Although the fourth pick would certainly go a long way in helping the Wizards or Bulls contend again, they’d have to give up a key piece of their own core for it. It’s also worth noting the Wizards want to keep Beal and reportedly will offer him a three-year, $111 million contract extension.

One other possible trade target is Orlando’s Aaron Gordon, as noted by SB Nation’s Pelicans blog The Bird Writes. The 23-year-old Gordon put up impressive numbers in Orlando last season, averaging 16 points and 7.4 rebounds per game for a playoff team. He also showed defenses have to at least account for him on the perimeter, shooting a career-high 35 percent from three. Gordon also has elite talent defensively, both on and off the ball.

The on-court fit with Williamson could get murky because Gordon is not a deadeye shooter, but lineup flexibility is one luxury to having Williamson. It’s also fun to imagine the combination of Ball’s passing ability and two players who can play above the rim like Williamson and Gordon. Expect a lot of alley-oops in New Orleans if that happens.

If the Pelicans want to cash in on the No. 4 pick but don’t want to get back a single player in return, they can always trade down in this draft. It never hurts to acquire more picks and get more chances to land a good role player.

There are two teams with multiple picks inside the first round of the draft who could swing a deal with New Orleans. The Atlanta Hawks are in the middle of a rebuild of their own with the trio of Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, and John Collins. They currently have picks No. 8 and No. 10, along with No. 17, which they acquired from Brooklyn. By packaging both top-10 picks to the Pelicans, Atlanta could be in prime position to land a player like Culver or Hunter. Then, the Pelicans can take multiple swings on some high upside players, such as Duke’s Cam Reddish or Georgian center Goga Bitzade.

New Orleans could also deal with Boston, who has the No. 14 and No. 20 selections from the Kings and the Clippers, respectively, as well as their own pick at No. 22. Now that the Celtics must pivot to building around young forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they’ll be looking to build a supporting cast for the future. Perhaps they’d be tempted to trade up.

With the Davis trade complete, new Pelicans team president David Griffin can now focus on the future. He have a potential superstar in Williamson, and with it comes flexibility in constructing the Pelicans’ roster. It’s no secret multiple teams are interested in the No. 4 pick, so Griffin has options when it comes to possible trades.

Which one will they choose? It’ll depend on when the Pelicans believe their window to contend actually starts.