With the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade now done, the rest of the NBA can continue with their business. That includes the New Orleans Pelicans, who have had busy phones in recent days.
The Milwaukee Bucks traded superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat on Monday night, which now sets the stage for the New Orleans Pelicans to make a move on Tuesday.
The first round of the 2026 NBA draft takes place in mere hours now, and the Pelicans are still without a pick. As things stand, it would be a shock to see New Orleans not end up with a new player by the end of the night.
Now that the Antetokounmpo piece has fallen, other teams who had been waiting around for something to happen can make a move. The Pelicans certainly fall within that group.
New Orleans actually gained an even better asset on Monday night as they own the rights to the most favorable pick in 2027 between themselves, the Atlanta Hawks and the Bucks. Now that Milwaukee is in rebuild mode and just traded its star, that pick becomes more desirable. It is certainly in contention to be moved by the end of the night.
As another draft has come around, Troy Weaver has signaled some talent that the team now seems prepared to move mountains in order acquire. It seems like that player is Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament.
Ament is a DMV-area recruit, a plus in the eyes of this front office. He is also someone with immense potential as a plus-scorer at 6-foot-10. There are fewer ceilings in this class higher than his. The problem for most is that the floor is also very low. This would be a massive swing, but not a shocking one from this front office.
Other options make sense. Aday Mara, the 7-foot-3 defensive centerpiece. Morez Johnson Jr., the athletic freak with all the tools of a perfect modern wing. Brayden Burries is the guard who works hard on both ends of the court and off the ball.
The biggest hurdle with getting into the lottery of this strong class, is the fact that the Pelicans don't pick until No. 58. It'll take some maneuvering of more future assets, and/or a valuable current player. Teams have wanted Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones for a long time, and this appears to be their best chance.
New Orleans is trying to tow the line between rebuilding and trying to win next season. A trade back into this draft drifts them further into rebuild. Luckily, the coaching staff they just brought in just did this with some success with the Orlando Magic.
If they stay put in the draft, that means they really value their current core and want to build a competitor with them.
