Winners and Losers from 2019 NBA Draft - Bleacher Report

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The New Orleans Pelicans were winners from the night they won the lottery and gained the rights to Zion Williamson, who looks like he could be their next franchise cornerstone. But they kept improving their lot after that.

Usually, when a team faces the prospect of losing its superstar, it's just trying to salvage the future. But the Pelicans feel like a team that has gotten better by giving up one of the best players in the NBA.

The Pelicans had a tremendous week; every time you thought the deal with the Los Angeles Lakers was too good to be true, it got better.

They traded Davis to the Lakers. But right away, they got help by acquiring the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. Ingram and Ball were taken at No. 2 overall in the 2016 and 2017 drafts, respectively.

But wait, there's more!

The Pelicans also got help for the future, per Wojnarowski:

"The future picks going to the Pelicans include a 2021 pick that will go to New Orleans if it is in the top eight in that year's draft -- and will become an unprotected pick in 2022 if it isn't -- sources told ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

"In addition, the deal includes a pick swap in 2023, which is unprotected, as well as an unprotected first-round pick in 2024 that the Pelicans will have the right to defer until 2025, sources told Bontemps."

But wait, there's more!

Prior to the draft, Wojnarowski reported that the Pelicans traded the No. 4 pick and freed themselves of Solomon Hill's $13.3 million contract for 2019-20, which means they now have over $30 million in cap space, per Keith Smith of Yahoo. They also got the Nos. 8 and 17 picks, which were used on Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Hayes fits well with Williamson defensively, and Alexander-Walker is a complete offensive player who fits offensively.

Add in that they picked up Jahlil Okafor's $1.7 million team option, per ESPN.com's Malika Andrews, and the allegedly rebuilding Pelicans have suddenly assembled a team with four top-three picks, a former All-Star in Jrue Holiday, another top-10 pick and over $30 million to spend in free agency.

But wait, there's more!

Thanks to their early-offseason moves, the Pelicans also have 11 second-round picks over the next four years, according to Mason Ginsberg of Bourbon Shots.

Cap info via Spotrac unless otherwise noted.

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