Pelicans Send No. 53 Pick To 76ers For $2 Million

Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin has already been busy ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft.

His latest move came Thursday, when he traded the No. 53 overall pick to the 76ers for $2 million, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

This follows an agreed-upon deal earlier this week, in which the Pelicans sent center Steven Adams and guard Eric Bledsoe to the Grizzlies for center Jonas Valanciunas. The teams also swapped first-round picks, with the Pelicans sending the No. 10 selection to the Grizzlies for the No. 17.

Along with the No. 17 pick, New Orleans still has Nos. 35, 43, and 51 overall. Philadelphia now has Nos. 28, 50 and 53.

As Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors wrote, “If Philadelphia expects to be a taxpayer in 2021/22, using second-round picks on players who will earn the rookie minimum is a good way to ensure the final couple roster spots don’t add substantially to the team’s tax bill.”