New Orleans Pelicans top pick in the NBA Draft for each season.

The team has selected twice one of the top 3 picks and twice the first overall draft pick. Last time it took one of the top 3 picks was in 2019.

Franchise preferred NCAA teams or countries of origin for players selected in the first 3 rounds: Kentucky (5 times), Kansas (3), Uconn (3).

New Orleans Pelicans top NBA draft pick for each season

YEAR	ROUND	POS.	PLAYER	COLLEGE¹
2023	1	14	Jordan Hawkins	Uconn
2022	1	8	Dyson Daniels	NBA G-League
2021	1	10	Ziaire Williams	Stanford
2020	1	13	Kira Lewis, Jr.	Alabama
2019	1	1	Zion Williamson	Duke
2018	2	51	Tony Carr	Penn State
2017	2	40	Dwayne Bacon	Florida State
2016	1	6	Buddy Hield	Oklahoma
2015	2	56	Branden Dawson	Michigan State
2013	1	6	Nerlens Noel	Kentucky
2012	1	1	Anthony Davis	Kentucky
2011	2	45	Josh Harrellson	Kentucky
2010	1	11	Cole Aldrich	Kansas
2009	1	21	Darren Collison	UCLA
2008	1	27	Darrell Arthur	Kansas
2007	1	13	Julian Wright	Kansas
2006	1	12	Hilton Armstrong	Uconn
2005	1	4	Chris Paul	Wake Forest
2004	1	18	J.R. Smith	St. Benedict HS (NJ)
2003	1	18	David West	Xavier
1978	1	11	James Hardy	San Francisco
1977	2	44	Essie Hollis	St. Bonaventure
1976	2	26	Jacky Dorsey	Georgia
1975	1	7	Rich Kelley	Stanford
1974	2	28	Aaron James	Grambling

(1) Non NCAA international players are listed by the country in which they were playing when drafted or signed if undrafted.