The New Orleans Pelicans have to be dreading today's NBA Draft Lottery. After a second straight season well below .500, Zion Williamson and the squad face a grim summer with little hope on the horizon.

It all started with a gamble that backfired spectacularly. In the 2025 draft, New Orleans selected Jeremiah Fears seventh overall and then acquired the Atlanta Hawks' No. 13 pick to grab Derik Queen. The move was a bold bet for a team eyeing a playoff return under coach Willie Green.

But that bet turned into a disaster. The Pelicans fired Green after a dismal 2-10 start and limped to just 26 wins. While Queen showed flashes of promise, the pick Atlanta received in exchange for his draft rights now holds the seventh-best odds of landing the No. 1 overall selection.

Meanwhile, the Hawks' foresight has them sitting pretty in the post-Trae Young era. Atlanta pushed the New York Knicks to six games in the first round of the playoffs and now controls two first-round picks in the 2026 draft—including the Pelicans' lottery selection. With 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher developing slower than expected, another top pick could be just what the Hawks need to reshape their future.