While the New Orleans Pelicans may be looking to trade up in the 2020 NBA Draft, they are still set to have a lottery pick at No. 13. With that pick, the Pelicans can still land an impact player that can step in and contribute from day one.
That player very well could be Aaron Nesmith of Vanderbilt. USA Today’s latest mock draft by Scott Gleeson, Jeff Zillgitt and Mark Medina projected Nesmith to go to New Orleans.
“Nesmith could blossom into something special soon. He was already considered one of the best 3-point shooters in the NCAA ranks last season (52.2%). His 2019-20 season, in which he averaged 23 points, was cut short after 14 games due to a right foot injury.”
As noted, Nesmith’s injury woes will cause him to drop despite his gaudy shooting percentages. As a 3&D wing, Nesmith fits arguably the biggest need for New Orleans. Even in his freshman season, Nesmith averaged 15.2 points per 40 minutes while shooting 33.7%, a respectable number. While his jump in his sophomore year isn’t sustainable, it shows marked improvement.
With so much fluxation, if the Pelicans do like Nesmith as a prospect, they may have to trade up for him and it could be one of the prospects they’re interested in trading up for.
