With the 47th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans select Antonio Reeves, shooting guard, Kentucky.
The Pels didn’t have a second-round selection at the start of the round but traded into the pick. New Orleans sent two future second-round pick swaps to the Orlando Magic to get the deal done and make the pick. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news of the trade via X.
Reeves is a 6’5″ shooting guard who weighs 187 lbs and has a 6’8″ wingspan. The 23-year-old wing was a fifth-year senior at Kentucky. He spent the final two seasons with the Wildcats after his first three were his the Illinois State Redbirds. The Chicago native is known for being a dynamic shooter and his ability to shoot the three ball at a high clip.
In his final year at Illinois State, Reeves scored over 20 points per game while shooting 46.9% from the floor and 39% from three-point range. For the 2023-24 season, the former Wildcat had his best year as he finished with 20.2 points per game, shot 51.2% from the floor, and 44.7% from behind the arc as he helped Kentucky finish with a 23-10 record and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. The 20.2 points per game last season was the most ever by a Wildcat player under John Calipari.
In the lone game tournament game, Reeves was the best player on the floor for the Wildcats as he recorded 27 points on 11-18 shooting and was 5-9 from deep. Reeves’ scoring contributions weren’t enough however as Oakland got the 80-76 upset win in the opening round.
The highest Reeves scored in the ’23-’24 season was 30 against Louisville back on December 21st but went on a seven-game scoring streak at the end of the regular season where he put up at least 20 points in each contest.
During last season, Reeves racked up a few honors and awards including being named to the All-America Third Team, All-America Third Team, All-SEC First Team by the coaches and media, and was a part of the Jerry West Award Top 5. He was also a Wooden Award Finalist, a part of the College Hoops Today (Rothstein) All-America Third Team, an ESPN All-America Third Teamer, and made it on the USBWA All-District 20 Team.