Most Glaring Roster Hole the Pelicans Must Address With Their Only Pick in the NBA Draft

Unless Joe Dumars succeeds in his goal of trading back into the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans will have only one pick this year. After sending their first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks and their second-round pick to the Chicago Bulls, the Pelicans are left with the 58th-overall pick they acquired from the New York Knicks in the Jose Alvarado trade at the deadline.

The No. 58 pick, originally belonging to the Detroit Pistons, is the only way the Pelicans can add to their roster at the draft. What should New Orleans do with their selection?

Pelicans Need to Target a Traditional Center With the No. 58 Pick

The most obvious need for the Pelicans is in the frontcourt. New Orleans consistently struggled on the boards and inside the paint. Their big men rotation failed to bring the necessary physicality night in and night out. Adding more size and defense at center should be a top priority for the Pelicans.

Fortunately, center may be the easiest position to find value late in the draft. Finding older prospects late in the second round who can contribute right away in a backup role is not too difficult. In fact, every year, there are usually a couple of players selected in the 50s who become rotation-caliber players in the NBA.

Over the last five years, players like Toumani Camara, Aaron Wiggins, and Gui Santos have been selected towards the very end of the draft and have become quality role players. The Pelicans found Karlo Matkovic with the No. 52 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The list of proven contributors selected with the last ten picks of the draft is even more impressive. Luka Garza, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quinten Post, and Paul Reed are all solid centers who were drafted at the very end of the draft.

Finding a diamond in the rough is obviously easier said than done. Chances of finding immediate impact at the end of the second round are low, but as these examples show, they are not impossible.

Felix Okpara of Tennessee, Izaiyah Nelson of South Florida, and Rueben Chinyelu of Florida are all types of centers who should pique the Pelicans' interest, and they are all projected to go in the second half of the second round. A defense-first big man who can rebound the ball, block shots, and guard in the post could do wonders for the Pelicans even if they ultimately have low upside.

Whether the Pelicans will be able to add more draft picks before June 23 remains to be seen, but who they go after with their only pick in the draft will speak volumes about their priorities.

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