No Ceilings just dropped their first 2027 mock draft of the cycle, and I’m going to share my take on who they selected for the New Orleans Pelicans. On Tuesday, I reacted to Sam Vecenie selecting Jordan Smith Jr. out of Arkansas at No. 3 for the Pels. This time, I’ll be reacting to Jam Hines of No Ceilings selecting Tyran Stokes out of Kansas at No. 2 for the Big Easy.
The Pelicans' next franchise player?
To many evaluators, Stokes is the No. 1 player in the 2027 NBA Draft class because of his incredible physical tools and athleticism.
Stokes is a skilled finisher who uses his strength to create advantages on drives and has kind of made the hop step his signature move when getting into the lane. The combination of brute force and a quick first step makes it easy for him to score against other forwards, because if you're too small, he may just push you out of the way, and if you’re too slow, he’s going to blow by you. In open space, Stokes typically does one of two things: finish through contact or posterize an opposing defender.
I like Stokes’ overall feel for the game, and when you get to the rack with ease, assists are going to pile up. I like his ability to create with the ball in his hands and think his decision-making is pretty solid. If it all comes together and his handle gets a bit tighter, he could be the type of downhill scorer and creator that Jalen Johnson is for the Atlanta Hawks.
Stokes is a comfortable outside shooter and has continued to progress as a floor spacer, and while some question his shot creation, I view his three-ball as a more crucial swing skill. If he develops a reliable perimeter shot, he could go from a prospect with star upside to one with superstar upside.
Defensively, the tools are there with Stokes' 6-foot-8, 230-pound frame, but his effort and attention span sometimes waver. If he can buy into giving consistent effort defensively, he has elite two-way upside because he has the size to help protect the rim and the hands to get steals on the perimeter.
He plays with an alpha-like mentality that can rub people the wrong way and has resulted in some concerns about his character going into his freshman season for the Jayhawks.
But for the Pelicans, this actually may be exactly what they are looking for if they end up with top-three picks of the 2027 class. If New Orleans does have another disappointing year, it’s expected that the plug will finally be pulled on the Zion Williamson core, with a pivot towards Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. If that’s the case, the Pelicans may need another blue-chip young prospect to lead the franchise, and if it all pans out, no one really has more franchise player potential than Stokes.
Stokes is firmly No. 2 on my board going into the season, behind Caleb Holt, who I mentioned in my piece yesterday. But I do see a ton of avenues for him to end up as my No. 1 player in the class if things fully click for him in college. If New Orleans needs to pivot to a new direction next summer, Stokes is their guy, so Pelicans fans may want to keep up with Kansas basketball this year.
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