The first pick of the second round belonged to the Hornets, acquired earlier in a trade with the 76ers.
The Hornets ultimately selected Frank Mason, a 1.83-meter undersized guard.
Anyone paying attention to the Hornets' picks this year would notice that they had been drafting point guards across the board.
They took Frank Ntilikina from France with the eighth pick, and now they selected another one at thirty-first.
With Walker's contract expiring in the offseason, the move was rather thought-provoking.
After the Hornets, the other teams' selections were not particularly surprising.
That was, until the fortieth pick.
When Tatum's assistant announced who owned the pick, he also revealed a new trade.
The Pelicans sent the sixtieth Draft Pick and Brin Forbes to the Jazz in exchange for the fortieth pick.
Since it was the Pelicans' pick, the on-site fans, along with some draft teams that had already lost interest, turned their attention back to the stage.
The Pelicans' drafts over the past few years had been textbook-perfect. Nearly every year, a rookie had delivered standout performances, sometimes even spectacular ones.
One year could be luck. Two years could be good fortune. By the third year, other teams' front offices naturally began paying attention and learning from them.
Two minutes later, Tatum's assistant came back out from behind the stage and announced the Pelicans' selection.
He made the announcement directly and decisively.
"With the fortieth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Pelicans select Thomas Bryant, a 2.08-meter center from Indiana University."
The Pelicans' choice was still rather surprising.
Bryant's college performance had only been average. He averaged 28.1 minutes, 12.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game.
Indiana University had also performed only so-so in the NCAA this year.
And at just 2.08 meters for an interior