Shams: Hornets Prefer Brandon Ingram over Zion Williamson in Pelicans Trade Talks

Would trading Zion Williamson be enough to get the New Orleans Pelicans where they want to be in the 2023 draft?

Maybe not, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

If the Pelicans want to grab the No. 2 spot for a shot at Scoot Henderson, they might need to offer Brandon Ingram to the Charlotte Hornets, Charania said Friday on The Pat McAfee Show.

"What I have heard is, I don't know if the Hornets would want Zion Williamson," Charania said. "I think who the Hornets want, from what I'm told, is Brandon Ingram."

He clarified that he does not believe the Pelicans have made either offer to the Hornets.

Charania reported earlier this week that the Pelicans are interested in Henderson, a G League star who is projected to go second or third in the upcoming draft. New Orleans currently holds the No. 14 selection.

League sources told Yahoo Sports the Pelicans have "shown little interest in parting with Ingram at this juncture," Jake Fischer reported Thursday.

Marc Stein said similarly Wednesday on his Substack (h/t B/R's Mike Chiari) that the Pelicans would be "less inclined" to trade Ingram than Williamson.

The arrival of Ingram in Charlotte would make sense for the Hornets. Ingram averaged 24.7 points per game last season, placing him among the top 25 scorers in the NBA. That would be a significant boost for the Hornets, which ranked 27th in league scoring last season and could use a high-octane scoring partner for LaMelo Ball.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported on June 6 that some NBA executives think Scoot Henderson could be that high-scoring partner for Ball, a belief which could lead the Hornets to stick with their No. 2 pick instead of dealing it.

Several other teams are reportedly looking to move high selections in the 2023 draft. ESPN's Brian Windhorst (h/t Yahoo Sports' Tom Dierberger) reported Tuesday that at least four teams, including the Portland Trail Blazers (No. 3), Houston Rockets (No. 4), Detroit Pistons (No. 5) and Dallas Mavericks (No. 10), could be interested in trading down out of the top 10.

None of those picks are likely to help the Pelicans if their mission is to acquire Henderson, however. If the Hornets pursue a shooting guard and decide to retain the No. 2 pick, Henderson, the top guard in most mock drafts, would be the likely choice.

That means if New Orleans wants a shot at Henderson, they will have to strike a deal with the Hornets. It remains to be seen if the Pelicans would be willing to give up one of their best players to do so.