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The NBA Draft Lottery is just one month away. On May 17th the future of many franchises, including the New Orleans Pelicans, could be decided by a random drawing of 14 ping pong balls. Seriously. That is how a multi-billion dollar international coalition of sports franchises operates. Amazing, isn't it?
Thanks to the completion of the tiebreakers drawing, we have a good idea of what the draft order might look like come June 23rd. Remember, the draft lottery only selects the first three picks. After that, the order is going to be very similar to the one listed below. With a number of recent updates, it is time for our first track of Mock Drafts! For the most part there is significant agreement on the top 20 prospects. Since Chad Ford's mock draft is behind a paywall, it will not be included; although we will keep you up-to-date on who he predicts the Pelicans to take.
In the distance, the chant of "Buddy, Buddy" can be heard.
Without further ado, the mock drafts!
| Draft Express (4/14) | CBS Sports - Vecenie (4/18) | CBS Sports - Parrish (4/18) | Bball Insiders - Kyler (4/16) | Tankathon (4/15) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia 76ers | Brandon Ingram | Ben Simmons | Brandon Ingram | Ben Simmons | Ben Simmons |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Ben Simmons | Brandon Ingram | Ben Simmons | Brandon Ingram | Brandon Ingram |
| Boston Celtics | Dragan Bender | Dragan Bender | Jamal Murray | Dragan Bender | Dragan Bender |
| Phoenix Suns | Jaylen Brown | Jaylen Brown | Jaylen Brown | Jaylen Brown | Buddy Hield |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Kris Dunn | Jamal Murray | Dragan Bender | Buddy Hield | Jamal Murray |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Jamal Murray | Jakob Poeltl | Kris Dunn | Jamal Murray | Jaylen Brown |
| Denver Nuggets | Buddy Hield | Buddy Hield | Buddy Hield | Timothe Luwawu | Ivan Rabb |
| Sacramento Kings | Jakob Poeltl | Kris Dunn | Denzel Valentine | Kris Dunn | Kris Dunn |
| Toronto Raptors | Henry Ellenson | Henry Ellenson | Henry Ellenson | Demetrius Jackson | Henry Ellenson |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Skal Labissiere | Timothe Luwawu | Jakob Poeltl | Jakob Poeltl | Timothe Luwawu |
| Orlando Magic | Demetrius Jackson | Denzel Valentine | Skal Labissiere | Thon Maker | Jakob Poeltl |
| Utah Jazz | Timothe Luwawu | Ivan Rabb | Timothe Luwawu | Wade Baldwin | Deyonta Davis |
| Phoenix Suns | Deyonta Davis | Domantas Sabonis | Ivan Rabb | Henry Ellenson | Wade Baldwin |
| Chicago Bulls | Ivan Rabb | Tyler Ulis | Tyler Ulis | Skal Labissiere | Denzel Valentine |
| Denver Nuggets | Marquese Chriss | Furkan Korkmaz | Deyonta Davis | Denzel Valentine | Furkan Korkmaz |
| Boston Celtics | Wade Baldwin | Marquese Chriss | Domantas Sabonis | Jonathan Jeanne | Diamond Stone |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Denzel Valentine | Skal Labissiere | Furkan Korkmaz | Deyonta Davis | Marquese Chriss |
| Detroit Pistons | Furkan Korkmaz | Demetrius Jackson | Diamond Stone | Ivan Rabb | Skal Labissiere |
| Denver Nuggets | Domantas Sabonis | Wade Baldwin | Marquese Chriss | Furkan Korkmaz | Tyler Ulis |
| Indiana Pacers | Tyler Ulis | Deyonta Davis | Demetrius Jackson | Tyler Ulis | Demetrius Jackson |
It is important to note that Draft Express is not a "true" mock draft with team needs taken into account. That said, there's a wide spread of opinions on who the Pelicans should (will?) draft if they stay in the 6th slot. It will be interesting to track how those feelings change as we get closer to the draft.
Who is overvalued right now? Who is a bargain the Pelicans should trade down and target? Let's hear it in the comments.