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• NBA Draft: List of picks, trades

The Pelicans entered the 2024 NBA Draft with the No. 21 overall pick. 

No. 21 pick: Yves Missi

Missi a bouncy center with Belgian-Cameroonian origins who played his high school ball at Prolific Prep in California. Born in Belgium before moving to Cameroon for his childhood, Missi ultimately blossomed into a five-star recruit and graded as ESPN’s 13th-best player in the 2023 class. He earned Big 12 All-Defensive and All-Freshman honors in 2024, finishing his one-and-done campaign with averages of 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in just 23.0 minutes per game while shooting 61.4% from the field and generating 4.1 free-throw attempts per game.

A dangerous rim-runner, Missi ranked eighth in the nation with 76 dunk attempts this season. Deriving 32.2% of his offensive possessions from rolling in pick-and-roll plays marked the 17th-highest frequency in the nation, displaying a clear niche to translate to the pros. Another 34.4% of Missi’s possessions came via offensive rebounding and cuts around the basket, so he profiles strictly as a play-finisher at this time.

His 14.4% offensive rebounding rate was the 32nd-highest mark in the nation. In addition to his rim presence on offense, Missi’s 7.1% block rate ranked 66th in the nation. The big man was also able to protect the rim at a high level without fouling out of a single game in 34 appearances. — RotoWire. Go deeper.

No. 47 pick: Antonio Reeves

• DRAFT TRADE: Pelicans acquire Reeves from Magic

At 6-foot-5, Reeves is an elite three-point shooter, but his jumper is a set shot with limited lift, which may be difficult to get off in the NBA. He has the skill set to be a capable 3-and-D professional, but at 24 years old, Reeves isn’t an ideal prospect. He developed into a savvy all-around player in college, but his three-point prowess makes him worthy of NBA consideration. — RotoWire. Go deeper.