If the franchise remains in their current sixth position after the draft lottery is decided in May, Chad Ford is projecting both Buddy Hield and Jamal Murray will likely be off the board come New Orleans time for selection. Worse, Ford's next half dozen or so players on the list all require serious development in a particular area or two -- something Dell Demps has insinuated in the past he would rather forgo.
With Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans and Anthony Davis on the roster, it is no secret the Pelicans should seek to fill the huge hole at small forward.