Apr 11, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans bench reacts to a play against the Miami Heat during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

New Report Refutes Pelicans' Interest in Top Draft Prospect

Originally posted on New Orleans Pelicans on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 3:39 PM ET

The 2025 NBA Draft is less than a week away, and the New Orleans Pelicans hold the seventh-overall pick. However, could they be looking to trade up?

A recent mock draft from Yahoo! Sports' Kevin O'Connor has the Pelicans trading up for the third-overall pick from the Philadelphia 76ers, as he reports that they are eyeing former Rutgers star Ace Bailey as a potential Brandon Ingram replacement.

"League sources continue to cite the Pelicans as a team aggressively looking to move up in the draft, with most front-office executives believing Bailey is the target of new general manager Joe Dumars," O'Connor wrote.

The Pelicans are reportedly aggressively trying to move up in the draft, and Ace Bailey is a potential target, per @KevinOConnorNBA

“League sources continue to cite the Pelicans as a team aggressively looking to move up in the draft, with most front-office executives believing… pic.twitter.com/kR8Xn5JeVG
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 12, 2025

Bailey, 18, is an incredible prospect with all the necessary offensive tools to become a star, but there have been concerns recently. Bailey has still not had any individual workouts with teams, and many expect his draft stock to drop come June 25. In fact, there is a real chance that Bailey falls to the Pelicans at No. 7.

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

However, a recent report suggests the Pelicans have not been interested in Bailey. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on The Stein Line that their interest in Bailey has been "overstated."

"New Orleans has been routinely painted as a team with great interest in Bailey and, as a result, one looking to move up in the draft from its current No. 7 position. Yet league sources tell Marc Stein, publisher of The Stein Line, that the Pelicans' interest in Bailey has been overstated … and that they have not been actively trying to climb the lottery ladder with Bailey in mind," Fischer wrote.

The most comprehensive read on the Ace Bailey situation that you will find anywhere ... just went live via @JakeLFischer: https://t.co/x97JiqoIiB

Absolutely love the way Jake covers the draft ... and the old guy pitched in a bit on this one, too.

So many layers. So much Intel. pic.twitter.com/a8Y4YnKVkA
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 19, 2025

Bailey was once noted as the third-best prospect in this year's class, but as he continues to fall down draft boards, the Pelicans could luck into a top player at the seventh pick. While their interest in Bailey is rocky due to conflicting reports, if he is their guy, they could be very fortunate come draft night.

This article first appeared on New Orleans Pelicans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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