The New Orleans Pelicans snagged a dominant rebounder, Florida Gator Rueben Chinyelu, in this 2026 NBA mock draft.
The New Orleans Pelicans don't have a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft, as often mentioned, but they have managed to get back into the draft in the second round.
With someone as good at evaluating talent as Troy Weaver, having any draft pick could still help land someone valuable. In the second round, though, finding a solid role player is far more likely than a true superstar.
Micah Peavy, for example, was added with the No. 40 overall pick. While he probably won't turn into an All-Star, he had flashes of a reliable 3-and-D player.
They can use this second-round pick to address at least one of the weaknesses of the roster, such as shooting or rebounding. Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor recently released a two-round NBA mock draft, in which he added the latter.
O'Connor had the Pelicans adding junior Florida Gators center Rueben Chinyelu with the No. 58 pick in the draft. He's not a dynamic scorer, but would add some much-needed size to the front court, listed at 6-foot-11, 245 pounds.
Chinyelu averaged 10.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and a block this past season for the Gators. He had a lesser role, but was still involved in the Gators' 2025 championship run. Winning is a trait that this front office values.
The Florida center led the NCAA with 393 rebounds last season. He was fifth in double-doubles, just three behind Cameron Boozer. He was a little bit better as a defensive rebounder, but was top-10 in both rebounding categories.
While New Orleans has two young bigs in Yves Missi and Derik Queen, neither is very strong and that gets exposed when playing a team with a bigger front court. Kevon Looney and DeAndre Jordan were their best answers when a team had size, which is not ideal. At worst, Chinyelu would immediately help out as a rotational/matchup big. Can't ask for much more from a late second-round pick.