The Pelicans announced in a press release (Twitter link) that forward Herbert Jones has sustained a right shoulder strain and small low-grade partial thickness tear in his rotator cuff. Jones will be out at least two-to-four weeks, according to the team.
New Orleans also announced that guard CJ McCollum has been diagnosed with a right adductor strain and is expected to miss approximately two-to-three weeks. Both players were sidelined for Wednesday’s loss to Golden State.
It’s a tough blow for the Pelicans, who are now down three starters and a key reserve a little over a week into the 2024/25 season — Dejounte Murray is out three-to-five more weeks with a broken hand, while fourth-year wing Trey Murphy is recovering from a hamstring strain. Murphy, who suffered his injury in training camp and has yet to make his season debut, will be reevaluated next week.
A former second-round pick (No. 35 overall in 2021), Jones has been a valuable role player for the Pelicans, earning a spot on the All-Defensive First Team in 2023/24. He’s under contract through ’26/27.
McCollum, 33, is one of the team’s best shooters and has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of the past nine seasons. He’ll earn $33.33MM this season, followed by $30.67MM in ’25/26.
The Pelicans have dealt with a litany of injuries to key rotation players in recent seasons, and unfortunately they will be shorthanded once again to open ’24/25. Jordan Hawkins, Jose Alvarado, Javonte Green, Jamal Cain, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Brandon Boston are all candidates for more playing time.
Do they now qualify for a hardship exception?
Isiah Thomas 10-day
They likely will after Sunday’s game, once McCollum and Jones have missed three games apiece. It’ll depend on Murphy’s timeline though. The criteria is that the team has to have at least four injured players who have missed three games and are expected to remain out for at least two more weeks.
They’re the grizzlies this season injury wise with almost a court full of rotation players out.
Wow, 4 of their top 6 players (including all their plus defenders and perimieter shooters) out. Zion and Ingram are left standing, but they generally play better apart than together – although, in fairness, they each miss so many games that they haven’t played together all that much. Good opportunity for Hawkins to get real minutes.