Pelicans rumors: New Orleans gunning for another huge draft trade into lottery after controversial 2025 Hawks deal appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly exploring another aggressive move into the NBA Draft lottery, less than a year after trading significant draft capital to move up and select Derik Queen in the 2025 NBA Draft.
According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, New Orleans is actively pursuing a trade into the top 10 of the 2026 NBA Draft , which will take place June 23-24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn , New York.
"After trading into the lottery last year to select Derik Queen , the New Orleans are trying to trade into the lottery again in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft, league sources told HoopsHype. The Pelicans are believed to be targeting a specific player in the top-10 range.
While it's unclear yet what the Pelicans are willing to trade to vault so high in the draft, below is what we know about their notable assets.
Opposing teams across the league have primarily coveted Pelicans wings Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones on the trade market. Murphy III, a 38.2 percent career 3-point shooter, turns 26 later this month and has three years and $87 million remaining on his contract. He's averaged 21.4 points the past two seasons and has also improved as a rebounder (5.4 per game) and playmaker (3.7 assists per game) in that span. Jones, 27, has been one of the league's most coveted wing defenders and is owed $82.49 million through the next four seasons, including a player option for the 2029-30 season.
Former first-round pick Yves Missi was also in various trade conversations leading up to the trade deadline. Missi drew significant trade interest at the time, including from the Pacers , Hawks , Celtics , Knicks , Bulls, Lakers , and Raptors, as previously reported by HoopsHype. Amid those trade talks, the Pelicans signaled they wanted a first-round pick to consider parting with Missi, league sources said."
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The report comes after New Orleans made one of the most debated moves of the 2025 draft. The Pelicans sent the No. 23 overall pick and their 2026 first-round selection to the Atlanta Hawks in order to move up to No. 13 and draft Queen.
That decision became more scrutinized after New Orleans finished the 2025-26 season with a 26-56 record , ending the year as the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference. As a result of the earlier trade, the Hawks now own the Pelicans' No. 8 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
Despite the criticism surrounding the deal, Queen delivered a productive rookie season. The former Maryland standout averaged 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game while shooting 47.3% from the field and 79.5% from the free-throw line across 81 appearances. He also showed playmaking ability uncommon for a rookie big man, helping justify New Orleans' belief in his long-term potential.
The Pelicans now face another pivotal offseason as they attempt to reshape a roster that underperformed expectations. While it remains unclear what assets New Orleans would be willing to include in a trade package, Scotto's report suggests the organization is once again prepared to be aggressive if it believes a targeted prospect can accelerate its rebuilding efforts.
With the draft less than two weeks away, league executives will be closely monitoring whether the Pelicans can engineer another move into the lottery and what price they may be willing to pay to do so.
