Although the initial focus of a 2019 blockbuster trade between New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers centered on the big-name players who changed addresses between the Gulf Coast and the West (Anthony Davis, Brandon Ingram), a highly-appealing aspect of the deal from a Pelicans perspective was the significant future draft capital it meant for the Crescent City. The transaction is still yielding dividends a half-decade later.
With June 1 as a pre-established deadline, New Orleans officially chose to defer the rights to a future first-round pick from the Lakers to 2025. The Pelicans had the option to take over L.A.’s first-rounder this year – which is No. 17 overall – but opted to do so next June instead, with that selection determined by the Lakers’ placement in the 2024-25 standings. There is consensus agreement among NBA draft analysts that next year’s draft class features more talent and productive prospects than the one that will join the league later this month. The 2024 NBA Draft is scheduled to be held June 26-27 in Barclays Center.
New Orleans maintains its own first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in this year’s event. For the first time, the NBA has split the annual draft into two nights. Round 1 will occur June 26 from Brooklyn, followed by Round 2 the next evening. ABC and ESPN are televising the 30-pick first round, with ESPN carrying the latter round (28 picks this year, due to Philadelphia and Phoenix vacating selections as a result of violating tampering rules).