Subscribe
Follow Us
The New Orleans Pelicans had another forgettable season after finishing the year with only 21 wins. It's safe to say that the team is headed towards another rebuilding chapter. Fortunately, the Pelicans will be one of the major players at the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft. The team currently owns the seventh and 23rd picks.
It's safe to say that the Pelicans had their fair share of high first-round draft picks. Unfortunately, they've also failed to find some success through the draft. In fact, a lot of their picks have turned out to be disappointing. Here is a look at the New Orleans Pelicans' 10 worst NBA Draft day mistakes in history.
Check out the gallery.
10. Zion Williamson – 2019
Although there's still no official verdict whether Zion Williamson was the wrong choice, things aren't looking great for the former Duke star. Prior to the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson was hyped to be the next big thing, convincing the Pelicans that he was the franchise superstar to build around. However, availability has been a major cause of concern. Although he has already earned two All-Star Game appearances, Williamson has also only played 214 career games across five seasons.
9. Nerlens Noel – 2013
Selecting Nerlens Noel with the sixth overall pick was a bad decision given that Noel never played like a lottery pick in his NBA career. The only reason as to why he ranks lower in this list is due to the fact that the Pelicans traded him for All-Star guard Jrue Holiday on draft night. Nonetheless, Noel was still a bad selection, especially when New Orleans missed out on franchise-altering players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert.
8. Jordan Hawkins – 2023
At the 2023 NBA Draft, the Pelicans only had one draft pick. However, it was still a lottery pick at 14th. With the 14th overall pick, New Orleans picked UConn standout Jordan Hawkins. He was expected to be a knockdown shooter right from the get-go.
While he did show signs of improvement in his sophomore year, Hawkins has yet to prove that he deserves to be a part of the franchise's future. Other players that are making a bigger impact for their franchises such as Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Keyonte George have already made their marks for their teams despite being drafted after Hawkins.
7. Austin Rivers – 2012
Widely known as the son of Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, Austin Rivers was hyped prior to the 2012 NBA Draft. Expected to be a major contributor, New Orleans selected him with the 10th overall pick. However, the Duke star failed to live up to lofty expectations. Rivers wasn't as deadly of a shooter at the NBA level, shooting only 33% in his Hornets/Pelicans tenure. Furthermore, his limited offensive arsenal certainly started to get exposed by more polished defenders.
6. Cole Aldrich – 2010
The 2010 NBA Draft Class wasn't exactly deep outside of the Top 10. As a result, the Pelicans settled with Cole Aldrich before trading him to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Craig Brackins and Quincy Pondexter, who were the 21st and 25th picks of the same draft. Drafting Aldrich wasn't exactly the right one, given that Eric Bledsoe and Avery Bradley were still available. On the other hand, Brackins and Pondexter weren't really needle-movers worth a lottery pick.
5. Darrell Arthur – 2008
Article Continues Below
The Pelicans, then called Hornets, only had one draft pick at the 2008 NBA Draft. They used their lone first-round pick on Kansas star Darrell Arthur, selecting him 27th overall. But shortly after, the team traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies which saw them land Isaiah Whitehead. Neither Arthur nor Whitehead had a head-turning NBA career. New Orleans should've drafted DeAndre Jordan instead. The onetime All-Star big man was taken in the second round.
4. Kira Lewis – 2020
Kira Lewis was a force to be reckoned with in Alabama. As a result, the Pelicans decided to take him with the 13th overall pick at the 2020 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, Lewis failed to translate his college success into the NBA. With the Pelicans, the Alabama prospect tended to veer away from the team's system. And stifled with an injury, he was overshadowed by the team's guard depth of Dyson Daniels, C.J. McCollum, and Jose Alvarado.
3. Julian Wright – 2007
New Orleans also had the 13th overall pick at the 2007 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, it turned out to be another meaningless lottery selection. During that night, the team selected Kansas star Julian Wright. He failed to live up to the hype of a lottery pick. He averaged just 4.0 points per game during his Hornets stint. Had New Orleans done their homework, they would have selected Marc Gasol, who was selected in the second round before going on to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
2. Cedric Simmons – 2006
The 2006 NBA Draft was one of the worse front office showings by New Orleans. Despite having owned two first-round draft picks, they managed to fumble by selecting some of the worst players. One of the picks was used on Cedric Simmons, who was taken with the 15th pick. The NC State star averaged just 2.9 points per game in 43 outings with the Hornets and was a liability offensively. After three seasons, Simmons was gone from the NBA.
1. Hilton Armstrong – 2006
Prior to selecting Simmons, New Orleans drafted Hilton Armstrong, who was a prospect out of UConn. Armstrong never panned out in the NBA. The 6-foot-11 big man only put up 3.6 points per game for the city of New Orleans. Armstrong was a defensive presence in spurts. However, his limitations on offense certainly made him unplayable for the most part. If the franchise was looking for a more polished big man, Paul Millsap would've been the no-brainer selection.
