Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports dropped an absolute bomb that Pelicans fans should be excited about. "I’ve heard the Pelicans at number seven like Ace Bailey. Joe Dumars there, sounds like he really likes Ace Bailey. Could try to trade up to No. 3 to Philly or No. 4 with Charlotte." said O'Connor. Now this is extremely interesting news.
The Pelicans, who have been linked to Ace Bailey all year long, entered the draft lottery with the projected 4th pick but fell to 7th, making it look as if all hope of landing Bailey was lost. But after Kevin O'Connor dropped this bomb, it seems Pelicans fans can hop back on the Bailey train. That being said, the 76ers aren't giving away the 3rd pick for nothing, so let's look at what a potential deal would entail.
Ace is heading to the Big Easy!
This mock deal sees the Pels trade away pick 7 and 2 first-round picks in 2026. The 76ers jump at this because one of those picks is a swap between the Bucks and the Pels. With the way the Bucks roster is shaping up and the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo could be leaving, that pick has extreme value. This also positions Philly better to draft a guy who can fill a role they need, like a defensive Power Forward.
Someone like Collin Murray-Boyles would be a much better fit from day one with the 76ers than Ace Bailey. This deal better positions the 76ers for contention in 2025-26 and gives them one of the biggest poker chips in the league by owning the rights to the Bucks' first-rounder next season.
For the Pelicans, it's obvious why they do this. Joe Dumars is in love with Ace Bailey's game, so drafting him and only having to give up two future first-round picks and No. 7 is a win. If Bailey can turn into the dominant 6'9" scorer he is projected to be, no one is going to remember what the Pelicans gave up to get him.
Many people will compare Ace Bailey to Brandon Ingram and suggest this may be a pointless move, but there is one huge difference. The Ingram fit alongside Trey Murphy and Zion Williamson didn't work because Ingram has never been a great three-point shooter. BI has always been way more comfortable in the midrange and creating his own shot, rather than being a catch and shoot player. That's not the same case for Bailey.
Ace attempted 4.5 threes a game in college and has no problem pulling from deep. At the NBA level, he projects to be an elite catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter, and when he catches fire, there is no stopping him. From day one, Ace could have a similar impact to what Michael Porter Jr does for the Denver Nuggets because of his ability to be an absolute flamethrower from deep.
Inserting Ace into a healthy starting five alongside Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson, and Yves Missi would be unreal. Ace could help bolster their shooting, since the Pelicans ranked in the bottom five in all three-point statistics last season. When you pair the fact that Bailey can be an unreal shooter for the Pels from day one, with his absurd potential to become one of the league's best scorers. It makes trading up for him a no-brainer.