Pelicans Jump Back Into Second-Round; Draft Kentucky Guard Antonio Reeves

New Orleans add some much needed shooting with the drafting of Antonio Reeves.

Mar 15, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Antonio Reeves (12) celebrates his three point basket against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans started off the day without a second-round pick. They changed that with a trade with the Orlando Magic for the No. 47 pick in the draft. New Orleans exchanged two future second-round pick swaps in 2030 and 2031 respectively, to draft Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves. The First-Team All-SEC guard made 44% from beyond the arc on almost six attempts last season.

Reeves is a five-year college player who is a versatile scorer from all areas of the court. He led the Wildcats last season with 20.2 points and made over 300 three-pointers in his college career. Reeves is a 6-foot-6 guard who played for three years at Illinois State before transferring to Kentucky.

Mar 9, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Antonio Reeves (12) dunks the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports / Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

During his two-year career in Lexington, he scored 1,155 points, the second-most points over two years in program history. His 20.2 points per game are the most points averaged over a season by any player during the John Calipari era.

New Orleans has vocalized the need for rim protection and three-point shooting over the last few seasons. The Pelicans drafted Baylor big man Yves Missi with their first-round pick. Missi averaged 1.5 blocks per game during his freshman season at Baylor.

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