Dwayne Bacon Selected 40th Overall by New Orleans Pelicans; Traded to Charlotte Hornets

Former Florida State wing player Dwayne Bacon was selected 40th overall in the second round of Thursday’s NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. However, his draft rights were traded to the Charlotte Hornets.

Once thought of as a potential late first round pick, Bacon returned to Florida State for his sophomore season in hopes of improving his draft stock. He proceeded to become an excellent all-around scorer but also a liability on defense. He was still a star player on a team that needed an offensive leader it could turn to.

While his defensive lapses raised some eyebrows, his athleticism and ability to score from anywhere was ultimately too good to pass up. The Hornets could use some help on the offense, as they ranked just 16th in points per game.

Bacon came to a Florida State program that was desperate for a return to winning. He brought that with an electrifying freshman season where he averaged a team leading 15.8 points per game. The team barely missed out on an NCAA Tournament appearance, but Bacon’s announcement that he was returning for another year gave fans hope.

He delivered in his second season with 17.2 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, and the most offensive win shares on the team. With his production, FSU returned to the NCAA Tournament and had one of the best seasons in school history.

He becomes the 12th player drafted under Leonard Hamilton and the 44th in program history. This is the first time FSU has had multiple players selected in the same draft since 2010. It is only the third time in program history since the 1989 draft change to only two rounds.