With two consecutive selections near the top of this year’s draft, two separate trades finally began to bear fruit for the New Orleans Pelicans. The first, by way of Sacramento as a part of the 2013 Tyreke Evans sign-and-trade. The second, their final selection this year, came more recently as one of two second rounders given up by the Sixers around the middle of last season for point guard Ish Smith.
Instead of taking a player at both spots, the Pelicans opted to package both picks, sending them to the Los Angeles Clippers for their 33rd overall selection this year:
With the pick, the Pelicans selected Kansas big man Cheick Diallo, a highly-regarded prospect coming into the year who failed to find consistent playing time in his lone college season.