With the New Orleans Pelicans having another off day, it feels like a good time to preview the 2027 NBA Draft class. If you need a reminder, the Pelicans have the swap rights to the Milwaukee Bucks' 2027 first-round pick, with Atlanta holding the lesser of the two picks if the swap is exercised, subject to top-four protection.
I consider myself a pretty big NBA draft guy. I spend plenty of time studying film, watching games, reading articles, and digging into the stats, so I’m comfortable giving my opinions on incoming talent, but I’m still not an expert. Someone who is an expert is Sam Vecenie of the Game Theory Podcast. Vecenie just dropped his first mock draft for the 2027 draft cycle and had New Orleans select Jordan Smith Jr. at No. 3.
Smith Jr. is a 6-foot-2 guard entering his freshman season at Arkansas under coach John Calipari.
I know many of you will immediately be out on Smith Jr. because of his measurements. A backcourt featuring 6-foot-3 Jeremiah Fears and a 6-foot-2 guard sounds disastrous defensively. But pump the brakes because defense and physicality are Smith Jr.’s calling cards.
Pelicans fans should get familiar with Smith Jr.
Smith Jr. comes in with an NBA-ready body at 205 pounds and has been reported to have a near 6-foot-9 wingspan. His length and aggressive defense have reminded some evaluators of a young Marcus Smart. Like Smart, Smith Jr. is willing to throw his body around to make winning plays on the defensive end. He fights hard through screens, has active hands on the ball, and can be a problem jumping passing lanes. On the glass, he’s also very active, as Smith Jr. averaged 7 rebounds per game at the high school level last year, which speaks to his competitive nature.
That defensive description already screams future Pelican, given the tough defense-first culture Joe Dumars has been trying to build. Then you factor in that he’s from the DMV area, and you know New Orleans GM Troy Weaver already has his name circled.
Offensively, Smith Jr. is still a work in progress, but he puts a ton of pressure on the rim with his quick first step and ability to blow by defenders on the perimeter. Playmaking-wise, I do like what I’ve seen from Smith Jr. as a decision-maker, especially in the open floor, but he can get overwhelmed in the halfcourt. It’s unclear if he’s more of a combo guard or lead guard, and his development this season as a playmaker will help paint a clearer picture of what role he fits into as a pro.
Similar to when Fears came in as a prospect, the big question mark for Smith Jr. is the outside shooting. While he's shown promise over the summer and is shooting with confidence, questions remain about whether he can become a good enough floor spacer to play off guard.
Overall, I like Smith Jr. a lot. He’s my No. 4 prospect heading into the season, although most outlets have him inside the top three, with some placing him in the top two. Still, I would’ve selected Caleb Holt
The Caleb Holt rant
Vecenie and CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein, who joined him for the mock draft, had Caleb Holt going fourth to the Chicago Bulls.
Holt is a freshman wing attending Arizona and the No. 1 player on my board. Holt is listed at 6-foot-5 and, like Smith Jr., plays a tough, physical style of basketball, with rebounding being his most intriguing trait. During an overseas exhibition run with the Wildcats this summer, Holt averaged 9.3 rebounds per game.
Offensively, Holt is comfortable in the mid-range and can shoot well off the catch from three, with many projecting him to develop into a good floor spacer in the pros. But overall, his shooting and general self-creation ability need to improve and are the main reason many don’t have him in their top three. Holt is also good at getting downhill and loves pushing the break himself in transition after pulling rebounds.
To me, Holt projects as a winner no matter where he goes in the NBA, and that holds real value, especially for a team like the Pelicans.
In a class where I’m not overly sold on anyone having superstar upside, I like that Holt is getting comps to Josh Hart, Jrue Holiday, and a bigger Cason Wallace. All three of these players have shown they can impact winning at the highest level over the last several years.
Add us as a preferred source on Google