Bleacher Report

After a brutal 3-16 start to the season, the New Orleans Pelicans suddenly look like playoff regulars with a 26.3 percent chance of having a top-four selection in the 2022 NBA draft. They'll own the Los Angeles Lakers' pick, assuming it lands in the top 10 (99.5 percent chance), thanks to the 2019 Anthony Davis trade. And then New Orleans is expected to get Zion Williamson back for 2022-23. What happens if the Pels hit on their 6 percent chance of winning the lottery? The Lakers' pick makes it easier to brush off the fact that the Pelicans will send their own first-rounder to the Portland Trail Blazers from the CJ McCollum trade.