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Pelicans NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Houston C Chris Cenac Jr.
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- Pelicans NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Houston C Chris Cenac Jr.
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The 2026 NBA draft is quickly approaching and, to no one's surprise, it appears that the New Orleans Pelicans don't want to wait for pick No. 58 and could be maneuvering to get back into the lottery.
Troy Weaver is a talent evaluator first, so it's no surprise that he would have fallen in love with a player in this quality draft class. It's the same reason that they don't have a pick this year, because they were infatuated with Derik Queen last year.
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Continuing the series of prospect profiles and who the Pelicans could trade up for, it's time to look at Houston Cougars center Chris Cenac Jr.
One of the more fun aspects of Cenac is that he's probably the best basketball player to come out of New Orleans in a long time. New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson went to high school in the city but didn't grow up there. Cenac did the reverse, starting at Isidore Newman and leaving as a junior before finishing at a basketball prep school in Missouri (Link Academy).
During his one season with the Cougars, Cenac averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game on 48.5/33.3/62.1 shooting splits. His 33.3% from three is pretty good for a center, given that he attempted 2.4 threes.
He is already at least a legit threat from deep that defenses account for. Given the lack of shooting from Zion Williamson and Derik Queen in the front court, finding a center who can space the floor a bit would be massively beneficial.
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Along with spacing, they also need someone of some size who can stand his own in tougher matchups. Cenac was listed at 6-foot-10, 240 pounds at the NBA combine. He should be able to hold his own at the five at the next level, even if he didn't always play like a true five in college.
One great aspect of his college career is the reason he ended up at Houston in the first place. He wanted to go somewhere known for being hard on its players, with a coach who would push him, Kelvin Sampson. That's exactly the type of mindset a young player should have.
Should the New Orleans Pelicans trade up for Chris Cenac Jr.?
Cenac certainly makes sense as a target for the Pelicans. He's a hometown kid who can space the floor while also having a high ceiling as a defensive five, if developed correctly. There are worse players they could trade up for, as he could impact winning right away while also setting them up for success in the future.
