The Chronicles Of The Pelicans: Draft Day

Dylan Mckneely • June 12, 2025

"Are the New Orleans Pelicans the most interesting team of the summer?"

With the hiring of Bryson Graham as the Senior VP of Basketball Operations for the Atlanta Hawks, this officially concludes the David Griffin and company executive regime. The new basketball operations team consists of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars and General Manager Troy Weaver. Along with settling in on who will be the leaders of the Pelicans moving forward, Dumars has also made the intentions of the Pelicans regarding franchise cornerstone Zion Williamson clear. In an interview with WDSU Sports Director Fletcher Mackel, Dumars is quoted as saying Zion Williamson will not be cut or traded and that the Pelicans are moving forward with Zion as the face of the franchise.

So What Now?

The Pelicans have full control of their 2026 first-round pick. Barring a complete collapse of the Indiana Pacers next season, they will have two first-round picks due to the rights to swap picks with the Milwaukee Bucks. The value of the Bucks' pick swap is hanging by a thread, with zero indications of a trade request from superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. With recent reports from NBA Insider Kevin O'Connor stating that the Pelicans are reportedly "aggressively" pursuing the number three pick in this year's draft, in hopes of selecting Rutgers Scarlet Knights' Ace Bailey, along with a plethora of other rumors among insiders, one has to wonder... Are the Pelicans the most interesting team of the summer?

Let's Play 2K!

Ace Bailey has one of the highest ceilings in the entire draft. His freakish athleticism, coupled with his shot-making from midrange, is almost too tantalizing to pass up on if you can get him for the right price. A team executive may be a little hesitant to include Herb Jones in this deal for such a raw talent, due to Jones' ability to affect the game in multiple facets. Also, Jones is on one of the most team-friendly contracts in the entire NBA. With that being said, General Manager Dylan, reporting for duty. Instead of including Herb Jones in this deal, here is my proposed deal...

76ers Receive: Jordan Hawkins, Pelicans 2025 First Round Pick(7), Indiana Pacers 2026 First Round Pick(Top 4 Protected)

Pelicans Receive: 76ers 2025 First Round Pick(3), Andre Drummond

Full disclaimer: I absolutely hate the idea of trading Jordan Hawkins. With the Pelicans' pursuit of Bailey and CJ McCollum's mainstay on the roster, it would be most advantageous for Hawkins and the Pelicans to go their separate ways. Veteran Andre Drummond brings a defensive presence at the center position that the Pelicans have not had since the Anthony Davis era. He could also serve as a mentor to All-Rookie Second Team center Yves Missi. This deal will send Hawkins just over four hours away from the University of Connecticut, where he starred for the Huskies en route to a national championship.

Jeremiah Fears Loading...

If the Pelicans are unable to secure pick three and Bailey doesn't fall to seven, all arrows point to Jeremiah Fears being the preferred pick. The 6'3" combo guard out of Oklahoma has had a brilliant pre-draft process. His shot-making ability and quick-twitch movements resemble those of Kemba Walker in the early years of his career. Fears' scoring ability will keep defenders up at night, once he develops his NBA body frame and gets comfortable within the flow of the game. His demeanor is oddly extremely similar to that of Kemba as well: a man of principle, and extreme confidence. Fears is quoted as saying that he's most looking forward to playing against Anthony Edwards his rookie season. When asked further how he thought his rookie season would pan out, his simple response was, "I'mma kill, in the games and in practice." That level of confidence, coupled with his talent, gives one a reason to be excited about the potential of Fears' talent translating to the NBA. When asked about his high school matchup against projected first overall pick Cooper Flagg, Fears acknowledged that Flagg's team got the best of him. He then shifted quickly to looking forward to their incoming summer league matchup and said, "On the bigger stage, it's really time to go."

With the NBA Draft approaching, the Pelicans have signaled that last year’s performance was unacceptable. Joe "Officer" Dumars is poised to streamline the team's progression while preparing for a possible complete rebuild. The question remains: Are the Pelicans ready to make bold moves, or will we face another quiet offseason? It all starts with what happens on Wednesday, June 25th and Thursday, June 26th.

Dylan Mckneely

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Linebacker Room Outlook: Different Yet Familiar?

By Kaden Arkeder • July 28, 2026
Well the changing of the guard has begun on defense. With Demario Davis leaving in free agency a big leadership void was left in the locker room where someone else will have to take the torch. Whom remains to be seen but all eyes are on what Kaden Ellis brings in his return to the Saints. The Saints signed Ellis to bring back someone with familiarity with the organization and the talents he was better able to showcase after leaving the team. Kaden Ellis in his time with the Atlanta Falcons was able to show he can do whatever you need of him from the linebacker position. He can play off ball in space showing good awareness in coverage but can also play well on the ball when asked to rush the passer from a variety of situations. With Ellis in the fold I expect the defense to be more effective in keeping the offense guessing on what the linebackers will be doing on a down to down basis.  Next up is Pete Werner who has had a up and down career thus far with the Saints but overall has been a solid starter since he was drafted. Werner’s coming off a down year in terms of on field production in 2025 where he was routinely taken off the field in favor of getting the young linebackers on the roster snaps on defense to give them some opportunity and experience. If Werner wants to keep his starting role on defense he is going to have to show more impact on defense this season beginning in training camp. With Demario gone and Pete Werner the only returning starting at linebacker on defense the door of opportunity has fully opened for the young linebackers on the roster. who have been patiently waiting for their chance to make a name for themselves. Isiah Stalbird, Jaylan Ford, Danny Stutsman fit into this category as young guys earning their stripes through special teams and limited snaps on defense thus far. This will be one of the more fascinating, fun training camp battles to see if any can overtake Werner on the depth chart and carve out a more meaningful role on defense. After them is the roster hopefuls in Anfernee Jennings and Jackson Sirmon. These two will look to show they belong in the league and will do whatever it takes to prove it. Whether they make the 53 man roster with the Saints or not the goal is to help bring more competition to the room and see who can do enough to latch on somewhere in the NFL. Opportunity is the key word I would use for this group. From Kaden Ellis getting a chance to really star on defense to Pete Werner getting an opportunity to keep young guys from taking his snaps again to the young guys like Danny Stutsman overtaking Werner on the depth chart. The linebacker unit has plenty of opportunities ahead of them, let’s see what they can make with them.
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