Pelicans Notes: CBA, Jones, Ingram, Marshall, Nance

Zion Williamson‘s continued evolution into a superstar and his health are foremost among the factors that will determine the Pelicans‘ long-term ceiling, but the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations currently taking place between the NBA and the players’ union will also have a major impact on the team’s future, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

As Windhorst writes, New Orleans’ roster – one of the NBA’s deepest – is starting to get more expensive and the club is one of two NBA franchises never to have paid the luxury tax, so any major changes to the tax system, including the possible implementation of an “upper spending limit,” would be of particular interest to the Pelicans.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

• Pelicans forward Herbert Jones appears set to return from a five-game absence due to a left ankle sprain, having been listed as probable to play on Tuesday in Utah, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link). Brandon Ingram will remain sidelined to a great left toe contusion — he hasn’t played since November 25, but New Orleans also hasn’t lost a game while he has been sidelined.
• Described by his teammates as a “junkyard dog” and a “Swiss Army knife,” Naji Marshall isn’t one of the Pelicans’ top eight scorers, but he has become an important role player who brings physicality to the court and good vibes to the locker room, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. The former undrafted free agent is on a team-friendly minimum-salary contract that runs through next season.
• Like Marshall, big man Larry Nance Jr. is a valuable reserve whose production off the bench has been a key part of the Pelicans’ depth, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com (subscription required). A go-to option at center in fourth quarter lineups due to his defensive versatility, Nance is justifying New Orleans’ decision to sign him to an extension during the preseason. The team has a +11.6 net rating in his 553 minutes so far this season.