The Atlanta Hawks hold the rights to the New Orleans Pelicans' pick, which was the second-best draft asset in the league just a week ago. As the season nears its end, however, teams at the bottom are beginning to tank. New Orleans has won three of their last four games, which dropped their lottery odds from the second-highest to the fourth-highest. This stretch is a fluke, but it highlights an uncomfortable truth.
It’s no secret that the Pelicans are one of the worst teams in basketball. While they have some talented players scattered around the team, there is no semblance of a positive culture or team fit. What on Earth made them think it was a good idea to trade their unprotected pick?
They’re starting rookies at point guard and center – the two positions that are notorious for their steep learning curve. Dejounte Murray has been sidelined all season with an Achilles tear and reportedly wants out of NOLA. Zion Williamson is averaging a career low in points per game.
Despite their shortcomings, however, they hold one advantage over their lottery foes: they want to win.
The Pelicans have no reason to lose
In fact, New Orleans really wants to win. They’ve sat at the bottom of the standings for years, yet haven’t been able to convert their misfortune into a young dynasty. They’ve made a pair of win-now moves over the last few seasons – trading for Murray and Jordan Poole – to no avail.
When the Pels traded their first, they knew they weren’t going to be incredible this season. Joe Dumars even said there was no expectation to make the playoffs. They probably didn’t expect to hold the worst record in the league halfway through the season, however.
If they fork over a high pick to Atlanta, the Derik Queen trade will be looked at as a franchise-altering blunder, no matter how good Queen becomes. New Orleans would again become the laughingstock of the league.
On the flip side, Nets fans secretly rejoice with each L. Wizards fans know they must end up with a top-five lottery seed to ensure their top-8 protected pick doesn’t convey to New York. The Jazz, who also hold a top-8 protected pick, are blatantly benching key players to ensure they secure critical losses to other bottom-dwellers.
The Pelicans aren’t good – I’d say they’re the worst team in basketball. But they are trying their absolute hardest to avoid reputational doom, which could be enough to shoot up the standings.