The Clippers Split One Second-Round Selection Into Two Prospects
During the June 23, 2016 draft, the Clippers selected Kansas forward Cheick Diallo at No. 33 and sent his rights to New Orleans. They received two later second-round selections, No. 39 David Michineau and No. 40 Diamond Stone. The Clippers' official announcement confirms the exact transaction and draft positions. Diallo offered energetic rebounding and interior defense. Michineau was a young guard playing in France, and Stone was an American center coming out of Maryland. Los Angeles preferred two chances to develop talent instead of retaining the higher-ranked forward.
Diallo Earned Three Pelicans Seasons of NBA Frontcourt Work
Diallo made seventeen New Orleans regular-season appearances as a rookie, then fifty-two in 2017-18 and sixty-four in 2018-19. He totaled 1,676 minutes across those 133 games, with his most active season coming in his third year. His rebounding and finishing made him useful as a young reserve, even though he was not a regular starter. A draft pick in the early second round producing three years of NBA appearances is a measurable success. His later Phoenix games are not New Orleans output from this specific rights acquisition.
The Clippers Got Seven Games From Stone and None From Michineau
Stone reached the NBA with Los Angeles but appeared in only seven regular-season games in 2016-17, logging twenty-four minutes and ten points. He did not secure a second Clippers season or become a frontcourt rotation fixture. Michineau continued his professional career outside the NBA and never supplied Clippers regular-season minutes. Their overseas and developmental achievements should not be retroactively credited as Clippers league production. Two draft rights offered more potential paths to success, but neither generated the kind of sustained contribution that Diallo gave New Orleans.
The Higher Pick Produced the More Substantial NBA Return
Los Angeles had a reasonable drafting philosophy: exchanging one early second-round pick for two later prospects created additional options without using first-round capital. New Orleans simply chose the player it valued more and invested in his development. The result favors the Pelicans because they actually played their acquired center for three seasons, while the Clippers received only a handful of NBA appearances from Stone. Neither side acquired a star, so the outcome should be graded as a strong reserve return rather than a defining roster transaction.
Final Verdict
Pelicans Win. New Orleans gets B+ for Cheick Diallo's 133 regular-season games and 1,676 minutes over three seasons after the No. 33 rights purchase. Los Angeles receives D+ because Diamond Stone played just seven games and twenty-four minutes, while David Michineau never appeared for the Clippers. One higher draft choice delivered far more NBA production than the two incoming prospects.