Pelicans Should Try to Trade into 1st Round of NBA Draft for Henri Veesaar

While lottery teams held out hope on Sunday during the NBA Draft Lottery that they would get a high pick, the New Orleans Pelicans knew their fate beforehand. They were not going to have a first-round pick in this upcoming draft after trading it away last June for the rights to former Maryland standout Derik Queen.

Much controversy arose when the Pelicans offered no protections on the pick, despite the possibility that they would struggle again this past season. Still, New Orleans Pelicans vice president Joe Dumars revealed the team could still look to acquire a first-round pick in the upcoming draft next month.

The Pelicans have long lacked consistent shooting and size on the roster, often pairing non-stretch bigs alongside Zion Williamson, who do little to stretch the floor or offer driving lanes for him.

Queen is similar to Williamson in that the rookie likes to get the ball to the basket with little threat of a consistent outside shot.

If the Pelicans are to jump back into the first round, prioritizing a stretch center would make the most sense. A name that could be available late in the first round is former North Carolina center Henri Veesaar.

Henri Veesaar is the 2nd best center in the draft pic.twitter.com/BMDXzxrt09
— ItsAllLove (@nbanerdd) May 11, 2026

UNC Center Is the Type of Swing the Pelicans Need to Make in 2026 NBA Draft

Although Veesaar played a key role for the Tar Heels last season, he’s the least heralded frontcourt player, with most of the praise going towards his former teammate Caleb Wilson, who projects to be a consensus top-five pick.

Still, Veesaar was extremely productive in his only season at Chapel Hill, starting all 31 games and averaging 17 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. What is impressive about the 7-foot center is his ability to stretch the floor. He averaged 42.3% from deep last season, with the junior averaging three attempts per game.

While that isn’t the highest attempt rate, outside of Karlo Matkovic, the Pelicans have no big men even remotely a threat shooting from outside the restricted area. Veesaar weighs just 225 pounds, so strength gain will be key if he plans to have a long career playing the center position, but he is a multi-skilled player who can contribute just past his shooting.

The Estonian-born center started his career with the Kansas Jayhawks and, after two seasons there, transferred to North Carolina before the start of last season. He redshirted a year in Kansas as well, so he is 22 years old, older than most of this draft class. Many consider this a knock on his future projection, but his skill set meshes with what the Pelicans need.

Veesaar averaged two assists and over a block per game, showing some versatility on both ends of the floor. This is shaping up to be a light draft for centers, so snagging a viable big will be important for several frontcourt-deficient teams. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics project to need help in the interior next season, leaving the Pelicans maybe needing to leapfrog them to get the player they want.

Many are projecting he’s exactly who the Celtics are eyeing in the draft. USA Today’s Brian Kalbrosky recently wrote why Veesaar is the ideal pick for the Celtics or any team, for that matter, in the first round.

"We have seen a remarkable improvement from Henri Veesaar after transferring from Arizona to North Carolina," wrote Kalbrosky. "The 7-foot big man from Estonia has an excellent shot diet on offense. The All-ACC big man is scoring efficiently at the rim (especially when cutting or rolling) and on 3-pointers, while also holding his own as a rebounder and passer."

The Pelicans will need to part ways with some assets to procure that first-round selection. Whether that be a current player on the roster or multiple future picks, if Veesaar is who they are targeting, then that move needs to be made.

New Orleans is coming off two seasons in which it won fewer than 30 games, hasn’t hired a new head coach yet, and is facing major fan apathy toward the organization. Veesaar isn’t a savior who will come in and turn the franchise around, but he should be considered a smart basketball acquisition, something the team needs to prove it can make going forward.

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