The New Orleans Pelicans pulled off a stunning move late Monday night, trading Jrue Holiday to the Milwaukee Bucks for George Hill, Eric Bledsoe, three first round picks and two pick swaps. After establishing himself as one of the franchise’s cornerstones, Holiday netted New Orleans a substantial return, rivaling that of the return for Anthony Davis last year.
The details of the picks are not yet entirely known, but one of the picks the Pelicans will acquire will be the No. 24 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, giving them two first-round picks and five total picks. New Orleans also owns their own second round pick as well as Washington and Milwaukee’s second round picks as part of a separate trade.
Five picks in one draft is certainly a hefty figure, especially for a team that already has 10 players on the roster counting Bledsoe and Hill but not counting their five restricted free agents that includes Brandon Ingram. With Ingram a forgone conclusion to return to New Orleans, their active roster would quickly fill if the team was to make all five draft picks on Wednesday.
It would be easy to assume the team may be interested in compiling some of their draft capital this year to move up in the draft. Factor in Kevin O’Connor’s report earlier this off-season that the Pelicans are looking to move up in the draft with a potential eye on Atlanta’s No. 6 pick and trades start to make more sense.
Before either Bledsoe or Hill get comfortable in New Orleans, both could easily be flipped before (or even after) Wednesday’s draft. With Atlanta looking to compete next season, both Bledsoe and Hill could complement Trae Young, particularly the former with his defensive acumen. But Atlanta isn’t the only team that could see value in them.
At the No. 2 pick, Golden State is still eyeing potential win-now moves. With a trade exception just north of $17 million that expires this week, Bledsoe would fit nearly perfectly with the $16.8 million he is due next season. Add in the two first round picks New Orleans owns and the framework of a deal to move up to the No. 2 pick exists.
Who the Pelicans would target at No. 2 is unclear as they have not been linked to any of the top prospects. The same type of framework of a deal could be made for any number of teams at the top of the draft, though. Would Chicago view either Bledsoe or Hill as the lead guard they reportedly desire and is that enough to trade down from the No. 4 pick? The same could be asked for point-guard deprived Detroit or New York with the seventh and eighth picks.
Or maybe the Pelicans value Hill and Bledsoe and opt to hang on to them and only include draft assets in trade talks. Tyrese Maxey is a player that could fall in a wide range of spots around the lottery, could be someone the team targets and may use their two first round picks this season to move up and ensure they secure him. Maxey noted in his pre-draft interview that the Pelicans are the only team he worked out for in the lead up to the draft.
Any number of trades remain possibilities moving forward, including moving a veteran like JJ Redick as well, for the Pelicans. If anything, Monday’s trade proves the team is always looking to make a move when the price is right.