Pros and cons of Hornets trading No. 2 pick to Pelicans

Recently, rumors began to surface, linking the New Orleans Pelicans with a potential trade into the top-3 of the NBA Draft. We can safely assume that the San Antonio Spurs won’t be letting their first overall pick go, so that leaves either the Charlotte Hornets or Portland Trail Blazers as potential trade partners.

The Pelicans currently have a sizeable treasure trove of tradeable assets. From Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson to multiple future first-round draft picks – as such, they have all the ingredients to pique a team’s interest. Furthermore, both the Hornets and Trail Blazers have reasons to entertain a potential trade.

For Portland, the notion of re-tooling their roster and retaining Damian Lillard is likely very appealing. While the Hornets could be tempted into swinging a trade to show LaMelo Ball, they’re committed to winning with him as their primary weapon.

The only difference between the two teams is the draft position. Unlike the Trail Blazers, the Hornets can guarantee Scoot Henderson will still be on the board when they come to use their second overall draft pick. While the Trail Blazers can only promise an opportunity to select the highly-touted young guard if the Hornets select Brandon Miller.

As such, the Hornets currently hold all of the cards in potential trade talks, assuming the Pelicans’ interest in acquiring Henderson is legitimate. Nevertheless, as with any trade, there will be some pros and cons to the deal, so let’s dive in.

Pros of a potential Hornets trade

Assuming the Hornets are amiable to trading away their 2nd overall pick, the question then becomes, who should they ask for in return? There’s no denying that Zion Williamson is the most talented player on the Pelicans roster, yet his inability to remain healthy since entering the league has to be of legitimate concern.

Instead, the Hornets may be better served with Brandon Ingram. Although, the 25-year-old forward also comes with his own set of health concerns after being unable to play more than 62 games since his rookie season. Clearly, there is no home-run choice when it comes to who the Hornets should be targeting as a return in a trade, but both options are incredibly talented when healthy and would certainly improve the team’s talent level.

Maybe Mitch Kupchak plays hardball and demands that Trey Murphy III is included in the deal; after all, he has impressed for the Pelicans since being drafted in 2021 and would rapidly improve the Hornets’ perimeter-based offense. New Orleans also boasts 12 first-round draft picks over the next six years, which could allow the Hornets to stack assets in the hope of flipping them in another deal later down the line.

The bottom line here is that Charlotte could get one or two ready-made contributors, who would quickly be some of the more talented players in the rotation, while also stocking their cupboard for a future trade. If the 2nd overall pick is the price of making a deal like that, then perhaps it would be wise for the Hornets’ front office to give it some considerable thought.

The downside of the Hornets trading their 2nd overall pick

Right now, the Hornets have the perfect opportunity to enter a full roster reset. Trading away their aging players and building around LaMelo Ball the right way. While quick success is always appealing, there is always the risk of things not working out due to poor fit or injury.

Both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson have already spent time on a team that has struggled to do more than contend for an eighth or seventh seed – so there’s no telling if they would be willing to remain in Charlotte long-term.

Yet, if the Hornets drafted Henderson or Miller, they would have a clean slate and would be able to integrate the player into their system while retaining them on a team-friendly deal for the next four or five years. There is also an argument to be made that by keeping their pick and making a conscious attempt to surround LaMelo with players who fit his timeline and accentuate his skillset.

Sure, adding a borderline All-Star (due to lack of health) talent in Ingram or Zion is incredibly enticing. Yet, when you look around the league right now, most of the contending teams built their rosters through the draft, making use of their scouting and player development departments and trusting their coaching staff to get things right.

Look at the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, and Golden State Warriors; those are four teams who have been deemed championship contenders over the past few years and have all made runs to the NBA Finals or have hoisted a banner. And then you have the Memphis Grizzlies – who also project to be a force in the coming years.

The Hornets are not a free-agency destination, so it would be more beneficial to their future if Mitch Kupchak stuck to the plan and made use of the team’s multiple draft picks on June 22. Because, like it or not, that is how sustainable success is built for most teams in the NBA.

Should the Hornets trade their 2nd overall pick?

Given the situation the Hornets currently find themselves in, where their roster needs realigning around LaMelo Ball, and there are multiple players that should be traded over the summer, it doesn’t make much sense to trade such a high draft pick.

Regardless of whether the Hornets select Henderson or Miller, they will be adding a young player to a developing core, which allows the entire roster time to improve and develop. Making a trade for Zion or Ingram would only serve to confuse the team’s contention timeline and could end up leaving LaMelo wondering if the front office will ever be capable of putting him in a position to compete.

There will certainly be some sections of the fanbase that believe adding multiple picks plus an All-Star talent for the second pick is an absolute home-run move, and they might be right. Nevertheless, this writer believes there’s value in building out a team via smart drafting and player development and that when the Hornets’ are among the best teams in the Eastern Conference, this trade will be one of the best things Kupchak didn’t do.