This is the buzziest time of year for NBA Draft rumors and all the smokescreening that comes with it. No team is going to divulge its actual plans this early so all reporting — especially reporting advantageous to your favorite team — is best taken with a grain of salt.

The Dejounte Murray trade was a disaster for New Orleans even before Murray ruptured his Achilles. Fears has been one of the biggest winners of the pre-draft process, and if he hits his high-end outcomes, the Pelicans will have their point guard of the future.

The deadline to withdraw from the draft and return to college has passed. And with NIL, the 2025 field has lost a number of interesting names, with Tahaad Pettiford, Alex Condon, Karter Knox and Yaxel Lendeborg electing to go back to college.