NBA Draft Rumors: Pelicans Haven't Made Formal Trade Offer for Blazers' No. 3 Pick

The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly interested in trading up in the 2023 NBA draft to target G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported earlier this month that the Pelicans planned to pursue a trade for a top-three pick, and the Portland Trail Blazers, which own the No. 3 selection, have been linked to a move out of that spot to acquire another star player to pair with Damian Lillard.

However, the draft is just two days away, and the Pelicans have not made a formal offer to the Trail Blazers for the No. 3 pick, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

It's possible the Pelicans are waiting to see what happens on draft night before making an offer. Henderson has been linked to the Charlotte Hornets, which own the No. 2 overall pick, and New Orleans likely wouldn't want to trade up if he's unavailable.

If the Hornets selected Alabama's Brandon Miller over Henderson, things could get interesting with the No. 3 pick.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported earlier this month that the Trail Blazers are serious about building a contender around Lillard and are "exploring" deals for the No. 3 pick ahead of Thursday's draft.

Zion Williamson has also been included in various trade rumors this summer, and ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on his Hoop Collective podcast (h/t RealGM) last week that the 2019 No. 1 pick has "no relationship" with the Pelicans, leading to speculation that he could be included in a trade for the No. 3 pick.

However, it's still unclear whether or not the Pelicans want to part ways with Williamson this summer, according to Fischer.

"It remains to be seen if the Pelicans will actually be open to parting with Williamson, the No. 1 pick in 2019, and we may not learn New Orleans' appetite for such a blockbuster until Portland is on the clock come Thursday evening — although all indications are that the Pelicans would require more than the third selection to part with either of New Orleans' two All-Stars," Fischer wrote.

It's also unclear whether or not the Trail Blazers would be open to acquiring the oft-injured Williamson. However, Lillard recently liked a tweet calling on Portland to acquire the former Duke standout, so a deal involving Williamson and the No. 3 pick might not be entirely off the table.

Henderson would be an intriguing option for the Pelicans as they could pair him alongside C.J. McCollum or Trey Murphy III.

The 19-year-old had a solid 2022-23 season with the Ignite, averaging 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 19 games while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor and 27.5 percent from deep.

While Victor Wembanyama is widely expected to go No. 1 overall to the San Antonio Spurs, the second and third overall selections will be the ones to keep an eye on this week.