What Pelicans Must Prioritize With Their Only Pick in the 2026 NBA Draft

The Pelicans should have a clear goal with their only pick in the draft.

Jan 9, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (22) celebrates with Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) against the Washington Wizards in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The NBA Draft is about three weeks away for the New Orleans Pelicans, who have spent much of the offseason making changes. They hired a new head coach, Jamahl Mosley, overhauled their assistants and support staff, and now turn their attention to improving a roster that went back-to-back seasons with fewer than 30 wins.

Drafting someone who figures to make an immediate impact will prove difficult for the Pelicans this year.

Currently, New Orleans has just one draft pick, the 58th overall selection in the second round, due to a questionable 2025 NBA Draft night deal. The team traded away an unprotected first-round pick in this year’s draft to move up and select forward Derik Queen from the University of Maryland.

Queen’s selection itself wasn’t the head-scratcher, but not protecting this year’s pick seemed like an irrational move, given that most people didn’t think the Pelicans were going to be contenders.

QUEEN TO ZION ⬆️ pic.twitter.com/aMMh7xHROM

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 21, 2025

Pelicans Have to Prioritize Shooting and Size Above All Else in the NBA Draft

Finding a diamond in the rough to contribute in the second round is a coin flip, but the team has some gaping holes they need to address sooner rather than later.

The most obvious one is three-point shooting, which New Orleans has struggled mightily with over the last couple of seasons. They were near the bottom of the league in most major three-point statistics, including percentage, makes, and attempts per game.

Presently constructed, the Pelicans don’t have the players who can significantly increase their volume and proficiency from deep.

Exacerbating this is that the team has yet to find a viable stretch big to pair with star forward Zion Williamson, who can draw defenders away from the paint, allowing him to operate near the basket. Some of this issue is with Zion himself, who has yet to develop a consistent outside shot.

Entering his eighth year in the league, Williamson should have improved in this specific area of his game, but it remains untapped potential to this point. A stretch big man could also help with the size issue the Pelicans have in the paint, especially defensively.

The pairing of Queen and Williamson has been horrible on defense, posting negative net ratings when they are on the court together. New Orleans doesn’t have another true two-way big man to go alongside either player when one sits down to rest.

Their depth is expected to take a hit when many speculate the team will decline their option on veteran center Kevon Looney. Moving on from the veteran will help save the Pelicans $8 million.

There is also uncertainty regarding 37-year-old DeAndre Jordan, who played significant time down the stretch of the season. Losing both would force the Pelicans to add size in the middle for the grueling 82-game season the NBA forces on you.

Executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told reporters it’s on the table that the team could move up in the draft to secure a first-round pick. That move would signal that the Pelicans have a specific player in mind who could improve the roster quickly.

Size and shooting are what the target needs to be to address the deficiencies New Orleans has on the roster. Anything and everything should be on the table to improve this roster if they hope to compete in the ultra-competitive Western Conference in the future.