Pelicans Take Pitt G in Latest Mock Draft

The New Orleans Pelicans will take a star Pitt Panthers guard in the First Round, according to the latest ESPN Mock Draft.

Mar 15, 2024; Washington, D.C., USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Carlton Carrington (7) shoots the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels forward Armando Bacot (5) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers star freshman guard Carlton "Bub" Carrington Jr. is about two weeks away from figuring out where he will play next season, with the NBA Draft taking place June 26-27.

ESPN released their latest mock draft, with both Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo picking where players might or should end up at. Givony looked at what player an NBA team would need and Woo looked at teams that would draft players based on their value.

Givony picked Carrington to go to the New Orleans Pelicans, to fill their needs going forward. He looked at starting guard CJ McCollum heading towards the end of his career and that Carrington would serve as great guard depth for the franchise looking to the future.

"The Pelicans have good depth and might be willing to take a swing on a high-upside player such as Carrington, who has one of the highest ceilings of any prospect in this range," Givony wrote. "With CJ McCollum approaching his mid-30s, backcourt depth will likely be important for the Pelicans, and Carrington has the type of length and shot-making prowess that could certainly fit with the other rostered players."

Carrington had an excellent performance at the NBA Draft Combine, which put him on the radar for a number of draft experts and scouts.

He ran his 3/4 court sprint in 3.28 seconds, ranking sixth best. He also finished ranked tied 12th best with a maximum veritcal jump of 36.5 inches

Carrington showed off his shooting prowess throughout those drills as well. He shot 21-for-30, 70%, off the dribble, 19-for-25, 76.0%, side-by-side and 20-for-25, 80%, on spot up shooting, all best marks at the combine. He also shot 13-for-25, 52.0%, in the 3-point star drill, tied for eighth best. 

He starred for the Panthers last season, earning All-ACC Rookie Team honors, the first Panther to do so. 

Carrington started all 33 games for Pitt, averaging 33.2 minutes, 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, respectively, while shooting 41.2% from the field, 32.2% from 3-point range and 78.5% from the foul line.

One of his best games came in the season opener, as he scored 18 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out 10 assists in the win over North Carolina A&T, becoming to first Panther to have a triple-double in their debut in program history.

If he does go in the First Round, Carrington would serve as the first Pitt player to go that early since Steven Adams did so when the Oklahoma City Thunder selected him with the 12th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Carrington would also become the first Panther to earn an NBA Draft selection since the Atlanta Hawks took Lamar Patterson in the Second Round in 2014.

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