2019 NBA Mock Draft: Pre-Draft Lottery night mock

Heading into the off-season, the Pelicans have two holes in their starting lineup: point guard and small forward. The draft gives them an early opportunity to address one of these needs before free agency heats up.

At seventh overall, there are no wings available worth reaching for. As such, Darius Garland could fall right into the Pelicans’ lap midway through the lottery. Garland would be an excellent fit in New Orleans, allowing Jrue Holiday to slide back into his more natural role at shooting guard.

Garland covers Holiday’s biggest weakness (shooting) and Holiday covers Garland’s biggest weakness (defense). The tandem could quickly become one of the best backcourts in the East.

Meanwhile, with Anthony Davis almost certainly headed for the trade market, the Pelicans could look to fill their hole at the wing with a hefty return for the superstar. In a weak draft, it’s important to make the most of your assets and New Orleans has the opportunity to pull the trigger on a very quick rebuild.

The Grizzlies will run into the same obstacle as New Orleans before them with the eighth selection, desperately needing another guard and wing to build on. Considering the high-end wings in this draft are already depleted, Memphis would do well to roll the dice on Coby White.

With the frontcourt already set and the Grizzlies’ reluctance to trade away beloved franchise star Mike Conley, they need another offensively minded player who can create his own shot. Since Memphis will likely be dormant in this summer due to a cap-strapped payroll, Conley could take White under his wing to symbolically pass the torch.

Jaren Jackson, White, next year’s selection, and an open checkbook in 2021 could quickly become a formidable core on the fast-track to contention once again.