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Pelicans Select St. Aug Grad in Second Round of 2026 NBA Draft
The hometown guard averaged 17.6 points at SMU and becomes one of three greater New Orleans players picked this year.
- On Wednesday, the New Orleans Pelicans selected New Orleans native Jaron Pierre Jr. with the 58th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, bringing the St. Augustine High School graduate home to his city.
- Pierre, a 6-foot-5 combo guard, averaged 17.6 points and shot 37% on 3-pointers at Southern Methodist University after playing at Southern Mississippi, Wichita State, and Jacksonville State.
- Beyond Pierre, the greater New Orleans area produced three draft picks this year; Allen Graves from Ponchatoula High School and Chris Cenac from Newman were selected in the first round on Tuesday.
- Current St. Augustine coach Wade Mason said, "The hard work, sacrifices, late nights and unwavering dedication has officially paid off," praising Pierre's selection and the Pelicans' hopes for similar defensive impact as last season's pick Micah Peavy.
- Lacking first-round picks following a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans aims to develop the 24-year-old's three-level scoring ability in the second round, positioning him as instant offense off the bench.
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12 Articles
12 Articles
Local Kid Comes Home: Pelicans Snag St. Aug's Jaron Pierre Jr. in 2nd round of NBA Draft
The Pelicans closed out the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft by making a move that hit home. With the 58th overall pick, a selection that was secured after sending Jose Alvarado to the Knicks, the Pels selected SMU guard Jaron Pierre Jr.
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution70% Center
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources are Center
70% Center
L 30%
C 70%
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