The 2026 NBA draft will be a hard one for New Orleans Pelicans fans to watch, but not as hard as it could have been with the Atlanta Hawks selecting at No. 8 overall. The Pelicans do at least currently have a draft pick of their own at No. 58 overall, though that is far less exciting.
Because of the new NIL structure, some players will be staying in college longer. That means that the second round is likely to get better, as it will have some more experienced players who mainly drop because of age rather than just talent. They should have higher floors, at least.
FanSided's Christopher Kline recently released a two-round mock draft, and in it, New Orleans grabbed Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Chris Tyson. He's someone who has been in college all four years and should be one of those better players available later in the second round.
Last season, for the Golden Gophers, Tyson was the focus of their offense with 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 50.0/41.3/82.2 shooting splits. The exciting thing there is obviously the 41.3% from three on 5.4 attempts per game. That is exactly the type of wing that the Pelicans need to add.
The North Carolina native started out his college career at Belmont. As a sophomore, he shot 46.5% from three on 5.5 attempts per game, so that shooting isn't a fluke. After that season, he got a shot with the UNC Tar Heels, but couldn't really find his footing in that offense.
New Orleans has a lot of holes to fill this offseason with limited assets. They desperately need some floor spacing and it looks like the second round is a great place to find it.
Tyson isn't an athletic freak and doesn't have the best build, with a wingspan reportedly around 6'6.5. He can shoot the ball and score at the rim efficiently, though, so he certainly has some value.