The Athletic Mock Draft has us taking Franz Wagner at 10 (Update: Now it's Kispert)

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10. New Orleans Pelicans
Corey Kispert | 6-7 wing | 22 years old, senior | Gonzaga
Kispert is the oldest player to come off the board so far (22 years old) and there’s a good chance he ends up being the only senior drafted in the top 20. The last time the Pelicans took an upperclassmen with a lottery pick they drafted Buddy Hield at No. 6 overall in 2016, and he lasted about half a season before getting shipped to Sacramento in the Boogie Cousins trade.

Much like Hield back then, Kispert has a chance to be the perfect complement to the established young stars in New Orleans as a floor spacer and secondary offensive weapon. Kispert is arguably the best 3-point shooter in this year’s draft and he has a great feel for playing off ball-dominant stars. He knows how to find open spaces on the floor and will immediately improve this season’s 26th-ranked 3-point shooting team.

He doesn’t necessarily have All-Star potential, but Kispert is the exact kind of player the Pels need to open up those clogged driving lanes for Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

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10. New Orleans Pelicans

Franz Wagner | 6-9 forward | 19 years old, sophomore | Michigan

The player: Wagner is an interesting 3-and-D prospect at 6-9. His movement is terrific, with great lateral quickness. He can guard a variety of perimeter players on the ball, but his off-ball instincts are absolutely spectacular. He knows exactly where to be positionally, and his reactivity to get deflections is outstanding. The big question revolves around his shot, which comes and goes far too often. Sometimes, he looks like a legit 40 percent 3-point shooter in the future. Other times, he looks like a 30 percent guy and totally non-confident in the jumper mechanics. Whichever one he is will determine his career. If he becomes that high-level shooter, he’ll be a very high-level role player who starts. If he doesn’t, he’s more in the vein of his brother, Moritz, as an end-of-the-rotation guy.

The fit: The Pelicans need to surround Zion Williamson with two things: shooting and defense. Wagner’s defensive IQ would be a huge help next to Williamson and Brandon Ingram, especially at 6-foot-9. If you believe in his jumper long-term as I do, then this would be about as perfect a fit between that duo as you’ll find.

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