NBA insider Jake Fischer reported the New Orleans Pelicans are “actively trying to trade into the first round” of the 2026 NBA Draft – and multiple sourcing threads now suggest this is not a back-half flier but a genuine lottery pursuit. The Pelicans own only the No. 58 pick after years of aggressive dealing, which means any first-round entry requires significant asset expenditure. This is not a passive front office watching the board fall – this is Joe Dumars engineering another draft-night move.
Fischer’s reporting establishes active intent. HoopsHype‘s Michael Scotto added critical specificity, reporting the Pelicans are believed to be targeting a specific player in the top-10 range – not a generic first-round slot. That narrows the ambition considerably. This is a prospect-driven move, not asset accumulation for its own sake.
The exact player being targeted, the identity of the trade partner, and whether Trey Murphy III becomes the centerpiece or stays in New Orleans is not yet known. Those three unknowns carry the most betting and fantasy weight heading into draft night at Barclays Center on June 23–24.
Who Gets Moved and Why?
ClutchPoints analyst Brett Siegel built out the most detailed mock scenario, proposing the Pelicans send Herb Jones, Jordan Hawkins, and future assets to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the No. 16 pick and Santi Aldama. Siegel argued that “despite the rumors surrounding Trey Murphy III, the Pelicans continue to hold him in high regard and would only deal him for a haul of assets or a superstar player” – making Jones the cleaner trade chip for a top-20 slot.
That framing conflicts with SI‘s reporting that Murphy has drawn the most league-wide interest and carries enough value to return two first-round picks on his own. The Detroit Pistons have been connected to a Murphy deal, and the Lakers have also been linked with reporting on the asking price. Two separate publications identifying overlapping suitor frameworks is a credibility signal – Murphy‘s market is real, even if New Orleans prefers to keep him.
Dejounte Murray‘s large contract has also surfaced as a potential salary anchor in any blockbuster structure. Earlier reporting from William Guillory indicated the front office was more motivated to move Murray and Jordan Poole‘s deals than touch the core wing group – but draft positioning changes the calculus fast.
Dumars Has Done This Before – With Mixed Results
Last year’s draft-night trade worked. Dumars flipped Asa Newell (No. 23) to the Atlanta Hawks to land Derik Queen at No. 13. Queen then delivered 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.0 steals across 81 games, earning All-Rookie Second Team honors in what was widely considered a smart pivot at the time.
The longer Dumars track record carries more friction. His Detroit-era selections – Rodney White at No. 9 in 2001, Darko Milicic at No. 2 in 2003 – are the draft-history counterweights that analysts will keep referencing if this deal goes sideways. The Pelicans finished 26-56 last season and have missed the playoffs twice running. The margin for another swing-and-miss is thin.
What Bettors and Fantasy Managers Should Look Out For
The prospect target matters enormously for dynasty and redraft. Sportscasting’s 2026 NBA Draft big board ranks the top 74 prospects – cross-referencing the top-10 tier against New Orleans‘s reported target range is the sharpest pre-draft research move available right now.
Bettors should price the 65/35 probability that New Orleans executes a first-round trade – Fischer and Scotto converging on the same conclusion from separate sourcing chains pushes the likelihood past the coin-flip threshold. The 35 represents execution risk: no identified partner, a still-fluid asset board, and a front office that has to balance keeper logic against draft ambition. Draft night at Barclays resolves all of it fast.
