Pelicans fans have reason to start learning the name Jordan Smith Jr.
With New Orleans enjoying another off day, the conversation naturally turns toward the 2027 NBA Draft class, especially with the Pelicans holding swap rights to the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2027 first-round pick. Atlanta would get the lesser of the two picks if the swap is used, and that comes with top-four protection.
Sam Vecenie of the Game Theory Podcast just released his first mock draft for the 2027 cycle, and he has the Pelicans taking Smith Jr. at No. 3. The Arkansas freshman guard is listed at 6-foot-2 and is set to play for John Calipari.
The size will jump out immediately, and for plenty of fans, it may be enough to raise alarms. A backcourt pairing of 6-foot-3 Jeremiah Fears and a 6-foot-2 guard can sound shaky on defense at first glance. But Smith Jr.’s case is built on defense and physicality, and that’s where the intrigue starts.
He’s already carrying an NBA-ready frame at 205 pounds, and there are reports of a near 6-foot-9 wingspan. Evaluators have even made the young Marcus Smart comparison because of how forcefully he plays on that end.
He’ll throw his body into possessions, fight through screens, keep his hands active, and jump passing lanes. He’s also a very lively rebounder, which fits with the kind of competitor he’s shown himself to be.
Last year at the high school level, Smith Jr. averaged 7 rebounds per game.
That profile looks awfully familiar for a Pelicans team trying to lean into a tougher, defense-first identity under Joe Dumars. And with Smith Jr. coming out of the DMV area, Troy Weaver already has a natural reason to have him on the radar.
The offense still needs polish, but there’s real juice there. Smith Jr. gets downhill with a quick first step and can blow past defenders on the perimeter.
As a passer, he looks comfortable making decisions in space, especially in transition. The halfcourt is where things get murkier, and it’s still not clear whether he’ll end up as more of a combo guard or a true lead guard.
His playmaking growth this season should go a long way toward clarifying that.
The shooting is the biggest swing skill. Like Jeremiah Fears, Smith Jr. enters with questions about the jumper. He has looked more confident over the summer, and there’s reason to believe in the shot, but he still has to prove he can become a reliable enough floor spacer to function comfortably off the ball.
Vecenie had Smith Jr. at No. 4 on his own board, though most outlets have him in the top three and some even place him in the top two. Still, he said he would have gone with Caleb Holt instead.
And that Holt debate is worth paying attention to.
Vecenie and CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein had Holt going fourth to the Chicago Bulls. Holt, a 6-foot-5 freshman wing at Arizona, is the No. 1 player on my board.
He plays with the same kind of physical edge as Smith Jr., and rebounding stands out as one of his best traits. During Arizona’s overseas exhibition run this summer, Holt averaged 9.3 rebounds per game.
Offensively, Holt is comfortable in the mid-range and can shoot from three off the catch, with plenty of scouts seeing a future as a strong floor spacer. At the same time, his shooting consistency and self-creation still need work, which is a big reason some evaluators don’t slot him in the top three. He’s also effective getting downhill and likes to push the break himself in transition after securing rebounds.
That sort of profile has obvious appeal. Holt looks like the kind of player who helps a team win, and that matters, especially for New Orleans.
In a class where superstar upside isn’t exactly jumping off the page, the comps matter too. Holt has been compared to Josh Hart, Jrue Holiday, and a bigger Cason Wallace, and all three have proven they can influence winning at the highest level in recent years.
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