8P9S NBA Mock Draft 1.0: With the 26th pick, the Indiana Pacers select…
By Ben Gibson
No. 9 — New Orleans Pelicans: Keldon Johnson, G/F
School: Kentucky | Class: Freshman | Height: 6’6″ | Weight: 210 | Age: 19
The Pelicans are clearly on the verge of a major roster overhaul with the impending Anthony Davis trade looming on the horizon. New Orleans will look to find an impactful player they can add to their new era of Bayou-Basketball, and Keldon Johnson, the freshman wing from Kentucky could be a solid option at pick No. 9.
Johnson has the skillset to become a dangerous shooter/scorer from pretty much anywhere, so putting him in the backcourt alongside Jrue Holiday could be exciting. Keldon has the size to play the 3 as well, so depending on what other pieces the Pelicans acquire this summer, he could be plugged in at either shooting guard or small forward.
If the Pelicans were to trade Anthony Davis to the Celtics, for example, they’d likely end up with a new core featuring Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, possibly Jaylen Brown, and a fourth piece in Keldon Johnson that could shoulder a large part of the offensive load himself.
Not a bad way to start a rebuild. — Ethan “Literally a Real Pelican” Krieger