New Orleans Pelicans: 3 trade possibilities for first round pick

With the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline fast approaching, the best trade asset the New Orleans Pelicans have to improve the team is its first round draft pick.

It has been a rocky year for the New Orleans Pelicans. Coming off a dominant playoff series win against the Portland Trail Blazers last year, expectations were high for the 2018-19 NBA season.

The pressure to succeed this season has only been multiplied by the ongoing discussion and uncertainty surrounding superstar Anthony Davis’ future with the franchise. While he hasn’t verbally expressed interest in playing elsewhere, it is known that he wants to win. If the Pelicans miss out on the postseason, regardless of how stacked the playoff picture in the Western Conference is, it could spell trouble for New Orleans’ front office.

With a 22-25 record, the Pels are currently positioned 12th in the West. It will be nothing short of a dogfight for playoff seeding through the second half of the season, but New Orleans must find a way to claim a spot in the postseason.

After Davis suffered an injury Friday night and will now be out roughly 1-2 weeks, the Pelicans will have their work cut out for them. As their already thin roster now looks to spend time without their best player, the need to make a move prior to the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline is even more pressing.

However, the few players the New Orleans Pelicans could part with without jeopardizing potential success likely wouldn’t provide a meaningful return if traded.

As Feb. 7 nears, utilizing draft picks is the best option at hand for the Pelicans if they seek trade for talent to add to their current roster. Here are the possible deals Dell Demps and the New Orleans front office could try to orchestrate in order to help get this team to the playoffs.