Breaking Down the Pelicans Draft Picks & Protections in 2026 and Beyond

Now that the New Orleans Pelicans' season is finally over, the focus is entirely on the offseason. Usually, non-playoff teams shift their focus to the NBA Draft with the hopes of improving their roster for the future. Unfortunately, the Pelicans won't have that option as they have traded away their 2026 first-round pick to acquire Derik Queen in last year's draft. But, how do the Pelicans' pick coffers and future assets look ahead of the lottery and the 2026 NBA Draft?

Pelicans 2026 Draft Picks

1st Round	2nd Round
N/A (Owed to ATL or MIL)	58th Overall Pick (from DET)

The NBA Draft Lottery is set for May 10. This is when we will find out whether the Bucks or the Hawks will get the Pelicans' pick. Atlanta will receive the more favorable of Milwaukee's and New Orleans' first-round picks, while the Bucks get the other.

The Pelicans, who are the only non-postseason team that owes their pick, have the seventh-highest lottery odds, while the Bucks have the tenth.

Regardless of the results of the lottery, the Pelicans won't have a first-round pick in the upcoming draft. There have been rumors about the front office's desire to trade back into the first round, but nothing has materialized at the deadline. One has to assume that those talks will be revisited around the draft.

The only pick the Pelicans have in the Draft will be Detroit's second-round pick that they acquired from the Knicks in the Jose Alvarado trade. After the Pistons finished with the third-best record in the league, that pick will be the 58th-overall selection.

Pelicans' Future Draft Picks

1st Round	2nd Round
2027 (More favorable of MIL and Own)	2027 (second-most favorable of OKC, HOU, IND, MIA)
2028 (Own)	N/A (Owed to SAS)
2029 (Own)	N/A (Owed to SAS)
2030 (Own)	2030 (Own or ORL)
2031 (Own)	2031 (from TOR)
2032 (Own)	2032 (Own)

Unlike most lottery teams, the Pelicans also lack extra draft picks in the future. They control their own first-round pick from 2028 to 2032, but in 2027, they will receive the most favorable pick between their own and Milwaukee's pick. The Pelicans' pick will go to Atlanta if it's less favorable than Milwaukee's selection. This pick is top-four protected, so if it falls within the top four of the draft, the Pels will retain both picks.

New Orleans has one second-round pick in 2027, coming from one of OKC, Houston, Indiana, or Miami. After that, the Pelicans don't have a second-round selection after 2030. The lack of additional second-round picks in the future could make it harder for the Pelicans to upgrade the roster. It would be savvy for the front office to try to turn a few of the veterans on the roster into second-round picks.

Until then, the Pelicans are not in a great position for the future. Whether Joe Dumars & Co. make any moves between now and the NBA Draft to add more picks remains to be seen.