June 25, better remembered as the night of the 2025 NBA Draft, set the tone for the entirety of the New Orleans Pelicans’ 2025-26 season.
That night, the Pelicans’ front office traded their unprotected 2026 first-round pick as part of a deal for Derik Queen’s draft rights. This trade was criticized from the moment it happened, and that criticism hasn’t stopped since. With New Orleans lacking draft capital in this year’s class, rumors have circulated all season that one of the front office’s top priorities is finding a way back into the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. But acquiring a pick in this draft, especially a first, may be harder than ever before.
We all know the top of this class has three or, in some people’s eyes, four potential No. 1’s between Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson. However, outside these four, the lottery is full of players with legitimate All-Star potential. And when you dive even deeper outside of that top-14, there are 20-25 players that could all be high-level complementary pieces.
The balance of talent at all tiers in this class is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and opposing teams are going to value their picks more than ever before. So if the Pelicans think they are just going to swoop in and finesse some team, they are in for a rude awakening.
The Pelicans face an uphill battle to re-enter the first round
The depth of this class has made early second-round picks comparable to first-rounders in other years. And, if New Orleans is serious about acquiring a draft pick, it will likely cost them a key rotational player.
With the new CBA and the value placed on rookie-scale deals, straight trades for draft picks have only become harder. Now, pair that with a stacked class, and it’s almost impossible without giving up real value. For New Orleans to realistically trade into the top 20 of the draft, they would likely need to involve Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, or Dejounte Murray, which is where the dilemma comes in.
The major issue is that the plan to acquire a first-round pick puts the Pelicans in a position where they are stuck between two timelines. If they pursue a draft pick, it could cost them a key player—if they don’t, they may miss out on a high-impact player on a small contract.
Rookie deals are more valuable than ever. With the Pelicans continuing to run out veteran lineups and ignore their youth as the season winds down, it appears the front office is in no rush to start a true rebuild. This complicates things. While the 2026 class could give New Orleans a real shot at addressing a major need like center play or three-point shooting, the cost of obtaining a pick may not be worth it for a team that appears to have its eyes set on the playoffs next season. Until the Pelicans commit to a clear direction, their approach will only continue to age poorly.