Hawkins was selected by the Pelicans with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Hawkins started just four games as a freshman at Connecticut during the 2021-22 campaign, but he moved into the starting lineup last year and helped lead the Huskies to a national championship. The 21-year-old averaged 16.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game during his final season at the collegiate level while shooting 38.8 percent from beyond the arc. Hawkins hasn't been a stellar defender to this point, but he's an athletic player who may be the best pure shooter in the draft. Hawkins should compete with Trey Murphy, Dyson Daniels, Kira Lewis and Naji Marshall for minutes as a rookie.