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Pelicans rumors: New Orleans ‘huge fans’ of intriguing 7-foot draft prospect
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- Pelicans rumors: New Orleans ‘huge fans’ of intriguing 7-foot draft prospect
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The post Pelicans rumors: New Orleans 'huge fans' of intriguing 7-foot draft prospect appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The New Orleans Pelicans have the No. 7 pick in the NBA Draft, and they could be looking at an array of talent with the selection. This draft offers some intriguing prospects in the lottery, and it would be hard to go wrong so early, especially with where the Pelicans are picking. As of now, it looks like they may be interested in a center , and Duke's Khaman Maluach has come up, according to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.
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"Where Maluach ends up is one of the biggest questions before the NBA Draft, given the vast interest existing from teams with top-10 picks," Siegel wrote. "The Pelicans are said to be 'huge fans' of Maluach's two-way potential, as one source stated, which makes sense given his length and athleticism that can coincide with Missi.
"There has also been smoke about [Derik] Queen being the Pelicans' ultimate target, which is why he is in play with this seventh pick. What the Pelicans ultimately decide to do will greatly impact decisions made by the Nets and Toronto Raptors .
The Pelicans got some great center play from Yves Missi last season, but they definitely want to build depth in that area. A quality center alongside Zion Williamson could also be key in helping his game as well.
Pelicans have their eyes on a few prospects
The Pelicans have interest in a few players at the No. 7 pick, but the real question is will they be available when it's time for them to draft. If they are, who will the Pelicans choose?
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"The four prospects that come up the most in conversations around the league surrounding the Pelicans are Maluach, Queen, [Jeremiah] Fears, and [Ace] Bailey. While some have said the Pelicans aren't wanting to move up for Bailey, multiple league sources have confirmed that multiple members of the front office are keen on the star potential that Bailey possesses."
Bailey seemed to be a lock for the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 3 pick, but over the past week, he declined to work out for them, which makes things a lot interesting on where he could go. The 76ers could still select him, but there have been rumors that he can drop now. If that's the case and he's still there at No. 7, the Pelicans may draft him.
Fears is another player that could fit well with the Pelicans, and he's an interesting prospect they may decide to look at as well.
Related: Pelicans' Joe Dumars stressing second chances amid Zion Williamson drama
Related: 2025 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Latest intel after Kevin Durant trade shakes up top 10
