At the much-anticipated 2025 NBA Draft Lottery on Monday, 14 teams learned where they’d be picking at this year’s draft.
The Pelicans were one of those, coming in with the fourth-best odds at the lottery after a down 21-61 season. At the draft lottery, they were granted the No. 7 overall pick at the 2025 NBA Draft. They came in with just a 12.5% chance at landing No. 1, with a most likely 26% chance to finish with pick No. 6.
The 2025 NBA Draft is a strong one near the top, boasting franchise-changing talents such as Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Rutgers Dylan Harper, as well as a host of other talented prospects just below and beyond.
With a largely in-now core, the Pelicans were one of a few surprises among 60-plus loss teams. The team’s former No. 1 pick and star talent in Zion Williamson again saw an injury-riddled season, playing in just 30 total games. Additionally, a new addition in Dejounte Murray played just 31 games due to a season-ending injury. And other pieces like Herb Jones, CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III were unable to carry the team back to the postseason.
In the essential middle-ground of the NBA, the Pelicans have options at the 2025 NBA Draft. Should they want to continue to lean into the currently amassed core of young players, they could potentially draft any number of decent fits near the top of the lottery. But if they want to prioritize best player available due to recent struggles, that works too.
Prospects are now in the heat of the 2025 NBA Draft Combine, where they’ll showcase their measurements and talents in front of NBA scouts and decision-makers. The full 75-player combine list can be found here. The draft combine will run through May 18.
The 2025 NBA Draft will again be a two-day event starting at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, June 25 and Thursday, June 26. You can view NBA Draft on SI’s latest big board here. A comprehensive list of scouting reports on all 2025 prospects can be found here.
