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Who Should the Pelicans Draft with Pick No. 7?

Originally posted on The Lead | By Cody Taylor | Last updated May 16, 2025 6:47 PM ET

The NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone. Despite having a 12.5% chance at the No. 1 overall pick, the New Orleans Pelicans dropped from fourth-highest odds to the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Who the Pelicans draft at No. 7 will be Joe Dumars’ first move towards trying to build the Pelicans into a contender. Here are three players New Orleans could look to bring into the fold with Zion Williamson, kickstarting the next chapter of Pelicans basketball:

Kon Knueppel, Forward, Duke, Freshman

While New Orleans missed out on the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, drafting his running mate Kon Knueppel would be a great addition for the Pelicans. The ACC Tournament MVP averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 47.9% shooting and 40.6% beyond the arc. An elite shooter, his offensive skill set will be of great use to the Pelicans, who ranked towards the bottom of the NBA in shooting percentages.

He will need to work on his defense, as he has a knack for letting guards get by him. While he probably won’t be leaned on as a lockdown defender, improvement will be welcomed. Knueppel would be the ideal candidate for the Pelicans to add at No. 7.

The idea that Kon Knueppel can't create with the ball is an illusion.

Knueppel isn't flashy. He doesn't waste dribbles and uses his footwork and strength to carve out angles to the rim.

The handle is solid and the threat of his shooting forces defenses to close hard. pic.twitter.com/vCA6U4vreq

— Latif Love (@LatifNBA) May 16, 2025

Collin Murray-Boyles, Forward, South Carolina, Sophomore

If the Pelicans brass want more offense at No. 7 and Knueppel isn’t available, Collin Murray-Boyles would be a fantastic option. The Gamecocks forward showed tremendous growth from his freshman to sophomore season, going from averages of 10.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists per game on 59.7% shooting to 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists per game on 58.6%.

Murray-Boyles is a mid-range talent that can bring pop to an offense. He will, however, have to work on his three-point shooting, as he only averaged 26.5% from behind the arc on 1.1 three-point attempts per game.

On the other side of the ball, Murray-Boyles is great defender. He averaged 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game last year. His defense will be a great help while providing more offense to a team sorely lacking. He can take some of the offensive pressure away from Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray. Murray-Boyles would be a great value pick at No. 7 overall.

Khaman Maluach, Center, Duke, Freshman

If the Pelicans can’t get the second best Duke star, try for the third!

Khaman Maluach could be a defensive anchor that the Pelicans have been lacking. His offensive numbers, at least for the college level, weren’t spectacular, as he averaged 8.6 points per game on 71.2% shooting, but he did put up 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

Standing at 7-foot-2, Maluach’s size will allow him to guard on all levels of the court. He has the potential to grow in the NBA offensively, but won’t need to be a focal point of any offense. Pick No.7 may be considered high for him, but the defensive potential is too great to pass up if available.

Khaman Maluach on why he started playing basketball when he was 14:

“I just went to a camp and saw a lot of tall people who were happy and I was like, ‘This is where I belong.’”

pic.twitter.com/nZ95Oclnuk

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) May 14, 2025