Hoops Rumors Originals

Hoops Rumors Originals: 9/28/19 – 10/5/19

Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:

Hoops Rumors Seeking Part-Time Writers

We’re looking to add part-time contributors to the Hoops Rumors writing team. The position pays on an hourly basis. Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Exceptional knowledge of all 30 NBA teams, with no discernible bias. We want you to be as comfortable writing about Ryan Broekhoff and Edmond Sumner as you would be writing about LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
  • Knowledge of the NBA’s salary cap, collective bargaining agreement, and transaction-related concepts.
  • Strong weeknight and weekend availability, along with the ability to work at least one or two regular shifts per week. Flexibility to work on short notice and/or on weekdays is a plus.
  • At least some college education.
  • Extensive writing experience, with professional experience and a background in journalism both preferred.
  • Keen understanding of journalistic principles, ethics, and procedures. Completion of basic college-level journalism classes is preferred.
  • Attention to detail — absolutely no spelling errors, especially for player and journalist names.
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  • Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news in a few paragraphs. We need someone who can balance quick writing with thoughtful analysis. You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers, or links to other relevant articles.
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If you’re interested, please email hoopsrumorsparttimers@gmail.com by Monday, October 14 (4:00pm central time) and include the following:

  • A few paragraphs to explain why you qualify and stand out.
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  • At least one or two writing samples. NBA-related pieces are preferred, but not mandatory.

Many will likely apply, so unfortunately we cannot respond to every applicant.

2019 Offseason In Review: Memphis Grizzlies

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2019 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2019/20 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Memphis Grizzlies.

Signings:

  • Standard contracts:
    • Jonas Valanciunas: Three years, $45MM. Re-signed using Bird rights.
    • Tyus Jones: Three years, $26.45MM. Signed using mid-level exception. Timberwolves didn’t match offer sheet.
    • Marko Guduric: Two years, $5.38MM. Signed using bi-annual exception.
  • Two-way contracts:
  • Non-guaranteed camp contracts:

Trades:

Draft picks:

  • 1-2: Ja Morant — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 1-21: Brandon Clarke — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

  • Fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
  • Hired Taylor Jenkins as head coach.
  • Hired Brad Jones, Niele Ivey, and other assistant coaches; Jones will be lead assistant.
  • Re-assigned head of basketball operations Chris Wallace to scouting department.
  • Promoted Jason Wexler to president of basketball/business operations; promoted Zach Kleiman to executive VP of basketball operations.
  • Hired Rich Cho as VP of basketball strategy and Glen Grunwald as senior advisor.
  • Promoted Tayshaun Prince to VP of basketball affairs.
  • Andre Iguodala not reporting to camp.
  • Josh Jackson entered diversion program to settle misdemeanor charge; will start season in G League.
  • De’Anthony Melton to miss 4-8 weeks due to stress reaction in back.

Salary cap situation:

  • Remained over the cap.
  • Carrying approximately $124.05MM in guaranteed salary.
  • Hard-capped.
  • $998K of bi-annual exception still available (used $2.63MM on Marko Guduric).
  • Seven traded player exceptions available; largest TPE ($4.74MM) expires 7/8/20.

Story of the summer:

It was the end of an era in Memphis in more ways than one in 2019.  The Grizzlies completed a massive overhaul of their front office and coaching staff in the spring, ensuring that longtime decision-makers like Chris Wallace and John Hollinger were no longer calling the shots. In their place, Jason Wexler and Zach Kleiman are running the show, with help from veteran basketball executives like Rich Cho and Glen Grunwald.

The Grizzlies’ new-look management group completed a series of roster changes that Wallace’s group started earlier in the year. After trading Marc Gasol at last year’s deadline, Memphis sent Mike Conley to Utah this summer, fully severing ties with the squad that earned seven consecutive playoff berths from 2011-17. The longest-tenured Grizzlies players are now 2017 draftees Ivan Rabb and Dillon Brooks.

With long-term franchise cornerstones Gasol and Conley no longer in the picture, the Grizzlies are betting on Jaren Jackson Jr. and this year’s No. 2 overall pick Ja Morant as the new foundational pieces in Memphis. Both players are still just 20 years old, so the franchise will take a patient approach in building around them, and that patience was on display this offseason.

In addition to trading Conley, the Grizzlies also gained assets by taking on unwanted contracts belonging to Andre Iguodala and Josh Jackson, and by agreeing to sign-and-trade restricted free agent Delon Wright to Dallas. In total, those deals netted Memphis three first-round picks and several more second-rounders, setting the organization’s rebuild on the right track.

It’s still very early in the process, so it’s not clear yet how the Grizzlies’ current pieces will fit together or what other opportunities will arise as they wait for JJJ and Morant to develop into impact players. But the 2019 offseason represented a promising start to that process.

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Poll: Best NBA Head Coaching Hire Of Offseason

As our recap of the NBA’s 2019 coaching changes shows, six teams conducted searches for permanent head coaches this spring. One of those teams stuck with its interim coach, as the Timberwolves opted to give Ryan Saunders an extension. However, the other five brought in new coaches. Here are the five new head coaches who will be on the sidelines for the 2019/20 season:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers: John Beilein (former Michigan head coach)
  • Los Angeles Lakers: Frank Vogel (former Pacers/Magic head coach)
  • Memphis Grizzlies: Taylor Jenkins (former Bucks assistant)
  • Phoenix Suns: Monty Williams (former Sixers assistant / Pelicans head coach)
  • Sacramento Kings: Luke Walton (former Lakers head coach)

The Suns and Kings worked fast to fill the newly-opened spots on their respective benches. Sacramento zeroed in on Walton particularly quickly, reaching a deal to hire him just two days after firing Dave Joerger in April. Williams, meanwhile, was Phoenix’s top target and agreed to become the Suns’ new head coach even before his playoff run with the Sixers was complete.

Both Walton and Williams will take over young Western Conference rosters looking to take a step forward in 2019/20. Walton initially faced a similar task in Los Angeles when he presided over a young roster headlined by the likes of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Kyle Kuzma, before the Lakers acquired LeBron James and the job description changed. As for Williams, he appeared to be a top target for the Lakers, but chose to join the lowly Suns instead, signaling that he sees potential in the team’s young core of Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, and Mikal Bridges.

After missing out on Williams and Tyronn Lue, the Lakers opted for Vogel, who has enjoyed success as a head coach in the past. While his stint in Orlando was forgettable, Vogel led the Pacers to consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014. The Lakers will be looking to make a similar run this season.

The rebuilding Cavaliers and Grizzlies took their time with their respective searches, and both choices were a little surprising. There was a belief that Cleveland would be targeting a young, up-and-coming assistant to oversee the team’s rebuild, and while John Beilein has a strong track record in player development, the 66-year-old doesn’t exactly fit the bill of a young up-and-comer.

Jenkins, meanwhile, enters the 2019/20 season as perhaps the most anonymous head coach in the league. An assistant in Atlanta and Milwaukee under Mike Budenholzer, Jenkins doesn’t have any head coaching experience at even the G League level, so the 35-year-old will be thrown in the deep end in Memphis this season. It will be fascinating to see how he responds.

With the regular season around the corner, we want your opinion on this year’s head coaching changes. Which of these five new head coaches do you think will have the most short- and long-term success with his team? Which hire did you like most? Are there any you particularly disliked?

Vote in our poll, then head below to the comment section to weigh in with your two cents!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Five NBA Roster Battles To Watch

For certain NBA teams, the path to finalizing their regular season roster is obvious. The Mavericks, for instance, are currently carrying 15 players with guaranteed salaries and two on two-way contracts. Barring a major surprise in the next couple weeks, those 17 players will open the regular season under contract with the team, while the remaining three players on non-guaranteed camp deals may end up in the G League with the Texas Legends.

In other NBA cities though, the regular season roster isn’t quite so clear cut. A number of clubs haven’t filled their two-way contract slots and/or don’t have 15 players with guaranteed salaries, leaving the door open for camp invitees to compete for those final roster spots.

We don’t know exactly what all these teams are thinking — some may have already made their decisions, or at least could have a good idea which way they’re leaning. But here are five teams that appear to have roster spots up for grabs and are worth watching during training camp and the preseason:

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
  • Two-way slots open: 1
  • It looks like at least two roster spots are up for grabs in Cleveland — one on the standard roster and one two-way slot. That number could increase to three if the Cavaliers decide to carry a 15th man to open the season, though their proximity to the tax line may discourage them from doing so. An intriguing mix of rookies and young veterans are in the running for those openings, and none have partial guarantees that would give them a leg up.
  • Contenders: Marques Bolden, Daniel Hamilton, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, J.P. Macura, Jarell Martin (ineligible for two-way), Sindarius Thornwell

Detroit Pistons

  • Fully guaranteed salaries: 14
  • Two-way slots open: 0
  • There’s only one spot available on the Pistons‘ roster, but the battle for it is an interesting one. In one corner is 17-year veteran Joe Johnson, who has appeared in nearly 1,400 total regular season and playoff games, and has a $220K partial guarantee. He’s going up against young forward Christian Wood, who just turned 24 and is already on his fifth NBA team. Wood flashed promise during his end-of-season stint with the Pelicans in the spring, averaging 16.9 PPG and 7.9 RPG in eight games (23.6 MPG), but beating out Johnson will be a tall order.
  • Contenders: Johnson, Wood

Orlando Magic

  • Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
  • Two-way slots open: 0
  • The Magic don’t have a ton of flexibility below the tax threshold, so they may not carry a 15th man to start the season, but they have to carry at least 14. The five non-guaranteed camp invitees that appear for now to be in the running for that 14th spot have appeared in a combined total of 12 regular season NBA games, so it will be interesting to see if Orlando looks to bring in a veteran or goes with a rookie.
  • Contenders: Hassani Gravett, Isaac Humphries, DaQuan Jeffries, B.J. Johnson, Vic Law

Toronto Raptors

  • Fully guaranteed salaries: 12
  • Two-way slots open: 2
  • Unlike last season, the Raptors don’t have any pressing luxury-tax concerns, so they could carry a full roster, which would leave five spots up for grabs in the preseason. Returning players Chris Boucher and Malcolm Miller each have partial guarantees and look like viable candidates for roster spots. But second-round pick Dewan Hernandez and free agent signees Cameron Payne and Isaiah Taylor also have partial guarantees and strong cases for a place on the 15-man squad. It will be interesting to see which way Toronto goes.
  • Contenders: Boucher (ineligible for two-way), Oshae Brissett, Dewan Hernandez (ineligible for two-way), Sagaba Konate, Miller (ineligible for two-way), Payne (ineligible for two-way), Devin Robinson, Taylor

Washington Wizards

  • Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
  • Two-way slots open: 1
  • The Wizards‘ injury woes may complicate their roster decisions and could make them more likely to carry 15 players on their standard roster instead of just 14. The partial guarantees for Jordan McRae, Justin Robinson, and Jemerrio Jones put them in the best position to claim those open roster spots. Meanwhile, only two of the team’s camp invitees are eligible for two-way deals, so that may be a one-on-one competition.
  • Contenders: Justin Anderson (ineligible for two-way), Phil Booth, Chris Chiozza, Jones (ineligible for two-way), McRae (ineligible for two-way), Robinson (ineligible for two-way)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 Offseason In Review: Atlanta Hawks

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2019 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2019/20 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Atlanta Hawks.

Signings:

Trades:

  • Acquired the Heat’s 2024 second-round pick (protected 31-50 and 56-60) and cash ($1.88MM) from the Heat in exchange for the No. 44 pick in 2019 draft (used to select Bol Bol).
  • Acquired the Warriors’ 2024 second-round pick and cash ($1.3MM) from the Warriors in exchange for the No. 41 pick in 2019 draft (used to select Eric Paschall).
  • Acquired Evan Turner from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Kent Bazemore.
  • Acquired Allen Crabbe, the draft rights to Nickeil Alexander-Walker (No. 17 pick), and the Nets’ 2020 first-round pick (top-14 protected) from the Nets in exchange for Taurean Prince and the Hawks’ 2021 second-round pick.
  • Acquired Solomon Hill, the draft rights to De’Andre Hunter (No. 4 pick), the draft rights to Jordan Bone (No. 57 pick), and the Pelicans’ 2023 second-round pick (31-45 protected) from the Pelicans in exchange for the draft rights to Jaxson Hayes (No. 8 pick), the draft rights to Nickeil Alexander-Walker (No. 17 pick), the draft rights to Marcos Louzada Silva (No. 35 pick), and the Cavaliers’ 2020 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
    • Note: The Cavaliers’ protected 2020 first-rounder will become two second-round picks (2021 and 2022) if it’s not conveyed in 2020.
  • Acquired the draft rights to Bruno Fernando (No. 34 pick) from the Sixers in exchange for the draft rights to Jordan Bone (No. 57 pick), the Hawks’ 2020 second-round pick (56-60 protected), and either the Hawks’, Hornets’, or Nets’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
  • Acquired Chandler Parsons from the Grizzlies in exchange for Miles Plumlee and Solomon Hill.
  • Acquired Damian Jones and the Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick from the Warriors in exchange for Omari Spellman.

Draft picks:

  • 1-4: De’Andre Hunter — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 1-10: Cam Reddish — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 2-34: Bruno Fernando — Signed to three-year, $4.7MM contract. Fully guaranteed. Signed using cap room.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Salary cap situation:

  • Used cap space; still under the cap (approximately $5.3MM in room).
  • Carrying approximately $103.8MM in guaranteed salary.
  • Full room exception ($4.77MM) still available.

Story of the summer:

Since Travis Schlenk arrived in Atlanta as the Hawks’ new head of basketball operations in 2017, the franchise has been in asset accumulation mode. That approach has meant adding young talent in the draft while primarily using the club’s available cap room to take on unwanted contracts and acquire even more draft picks.

Schlenk and the Hawks’ front office essentially continued down that path this summer. The team’s acquisition of Allen Crabbe was a classic salary-dump deal that netted extra first-round picks in both 2019 and 2020 — all Atlanta had to give up was a 2021 second-round pick, a player who apparently wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans (Taurean Prince), and 2019 cap room.

The Hawks were also quiet in free agency once again, waiting out the first wave of blockbuster deals and making only modest investments once the dust settled. It all points to a team that knows its rebuild is an ongoing process.

On the other hand, we saw this offseason that the Hawks are willing to start consolidating their assets for the right deal. The blockbuster trade they made with the Pelicans on draft night saw them absorb an unwanted contract (Solomon Hill‘s) and surrender the Nos. 8, 17, and 35 picks from this year’s draft. The target? De’Andre Hunter, whom Atlanta traded up to No. 4 to snag.

Hunter is just 21 years old and has yet to make his NBA debut, so he isn’t the sort of player who will turn Atlanta into a contender right away. But the deal foreshadowed the pivot that should be around the corner for the Hawks, who may not be in rebuilding mode for much longer. The next time Schlenk decides to consolidate his assets in a major trade, he may be targeting a veteran star who can help make the team a legit contender.

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Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

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Oldest, Youngest Players On NBA Rosters For 2019/20

Of the five oldest players on NBA rosters during the 2018/19 season, only one announced his retirement this year, as Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki decided to call it a career. Nowitzki was the second-oldest player in the NBA last season, but the rest of the league’s elder statesmen – including 42-year-old Vince Carter – have opted to keep playing in 2019/20.

As a result, many of the names on our list of the league’s oldest players for the 2019/20 season are the same as the ones that made our list a year ago.

Here’s the full list of the 10 oldest players currently on NBA rosters, led by Carter:

  1. Vince Carter, Hawks (born 1/26/1977)
  2. Udonis Haslem, Heat (born 6/9/1980)
  3. Pau Gasol, Trail Blazers (born 7/6/1980)
  4. Kyle Korver, Bucks (born 3/17/1981)
  5. Joe Johnson, Pistons (born 6/29/1981)
  6. Nene, Rockets (born 9/13/1982)
  7. Tyson Chandler, Rockets (born 10/2/1982)
  8. Andre Iguodala, Grizzlies (born 1/28/1984)
  9. Thabo Sefolosha, Rockets (born 5/2/1984)
  10. J.J. Redick, Pelicans (born 6/24/1984)

As expected, there’s much more turnover on the other end of the spectrum, as all 10 of the youngest players on NBA rosters just entered the league this year. In fact, all but one of those 10 players were selected in the 2019 draft, which doesn’t come as a real surprise.

A number of young undrafted free agents have gone right from college to an NBA roster within the last few months, but the youngest of this year’s rookies are the ones who left school after their freshman years — and many of those freshman early entrants were strong enough prospects to be drafted.

A year ago, the NBA’s youngest player was Isaac Bonga, who was born on November 8, 1999. This year, for the first time, the league’s youngest players are all born in the year 2000.

Here are the 10 youngest players currently on NBA rosters:

  1. Sekou Doumbouya, Pistons (born 12/23/2000)
  2. Talen Horton-Tucker, Lakers (born 11/25/2000)
  3. Alen Smailagic, Warriors (born 8/18/2000)
  4. Zion Williamson, Pelicans (born 7/5/2000)
  5. RJ Barrett, Knicks (born 6/14/2000)
  6. Jalen Lecque, Suns (born 6/13/2000)
  7. Darius Bazley, Thunder (born 6/12/2000)
  8. Jaxson Hayes, Pelicans (born 5/23/2000)
  9. Kevin Porter, Cavaliers (born 5/4/2000)
  10. Coby White, Bulls (born 2/16/2000)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Notable NBA Veterans Not On Camp Rosters

Training camps have begun for teams around the NBA, and while there will still be some roster shakeups to come, particularly if injuries start to pile up, most clubs have a pretty good sense of what their 14- or 15-man rosters will look like for the start of the regular season.

For veteran free agents, that means there are far fewer viable landing spots than there were earlier in the offseason. Still, whether it happens before or after opening night, there are a number of unsigned players who seem like realistic candidates to eventually sign with an NBA team.

Here are five of the most notable veterans who are without an NBA home for training camps this week:

  1. Carmelo Anthony, F: It has now been nearly a year since Anthony played in an NBA game — his last appearance with the Rockets took place on November 8, 2018. The 10-time All-Star has said he wants another shot and has insisted he’s comfortable playing a reduced role, but it’s not clear which team will be willing to take a chance on him. As of two weeks ago, several Nets players remained strongly in favor of adding Carmelo, but so far it doesn’t appear the front office is on board.
  2. Iman Shumpert, G/F: Shumpert is still just 29 years old and played postseason minutes for Houston in the spring, so it’s somewhat surprising that he hasn’t been scooped up by a contender. He and the Rockets reportedly engaged in contract discussions for much of the offseason before Shumpert decided to pass on the team’s offer — at the time, I speculated it might have been an incentive-heavy deal similar to the one Nene signed.
  3. Joakim Noah, C: After a disastrous stint in New York, Noah’s NBA career appeared to be on life support. However, a productive run as the Grizzlies‘ backup center last season (7.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 16.5 MPG) showed that the big man still has something left in the tank. He has reportedly generated some level of interest from both the Lakers and Clippers, though nothing has materialized yet.
  4. Kenneth Faried, F/C: Like Noah, Faried was gradually seeing his minutes reduced further and further before he got his release and bounced back with a new team. In Faried’s case, he joined the Rockets after being cut by Brooklyn, averaging 12.9 PPG and 8.2 RPG in 25 games (24.4 MPG) down the stretch. He didn’t play much in the postseason and his three-point shot is still a work in progress, but it’s a little surprising that the 29-year-old remains on the market.
  5. J.R. Smith, SG: Just three days after he was released by Cleveland and one day after he cleared waivers, Smith reportedly lined up a workout with the Bucks. That quick turnaround suggested it might not be long before the veteran sharpshooter found a new team. But Milwaukee opted to sign Kyle Korver instead, and there has been little chatter on Smith since then. He apparently turned down an offer from a Chinese team in August, signaling that he still wants to play in the NBA.

Here are a dozen more noteworthy veterans who remain unsigned:

  1. Michael Beasley, F
  2. Corey Brewer, G/F
  3. Jose Calderon, PG
  4. Jamal Crawford, G
  5. Dante Cunningham, F
  6. Luol Deng, F
  7. Devin Harris, G
  8. Amir Johnson, F/C
  9. Luc Mbah a Moute, F
  10. Jodie Meeks, SG
  11. Salah Mejri, C
  12. Jonathon Simmons, G/F

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2019 Offseason In Review: New Orleans Pelicans

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2019 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2019/20 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the New Orleans Pelicans.

Signings:

Trades:

  • Acquired the Warriors’ 2021 second-round pick, the Warriors’ 2023 second-round pick, and cash ($1MM) from the Warriors in exchange for the draft rights to Alen Smailagic (No. 39 pick).
  • Acquired Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, the draft rights to De’Andre Hunter (No. 4 pick), the Lakers’ 2021 first-round pick (9-30 protected; unprotected in 2022), the Lakers’ 2024 first-round pick (unprotected), the right to swap 2023 first-round picks with the Lakers, and cash ($1.1MM from Wizards; $1MM from Lakers) in a three-team trade with the Lakers and Wizards in exchange for Anthony Davis (to Lakers).
    • Note: The Pelicans will have the option to defer the 2024 first-round pick to 2025.
  • Acquired the draft rights to Jaxson Hayes (No. 8 pick), the draft rights to Nickeil Alexander-Walker (No. 17 pick), the draft rights to Marcos Louzada Silva (No. 35 pick), and the Cavaliers’ 2020 first-round pick (top-10 protected) from the Hawks in exchange for Solomon Hill, the draft rights to De’Andre Hunter (No. 4 pick), the draft rights to Jordan Bone (No. 57 pick), and the Pelicans’ 2023 second-round pick (31-45 protected).
    • Note: The Cavaliers’ protected 2020 first-rounder will become two second-round picks (2021 and 2022) if it’s not conveyed in 2020.
  • Acquired Derrick Favors from the Jazz in exchange for the Warriors’ 2021 second-round pick and the Warriors’ 2023 second-round pick.

Draft picks:

  • 1-1: Zion Williamson — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 1-8: Jaxson Hayes — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 1-17: Nickeil Alexander-Walker — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 2-35: Marcos Louzada Silva — Will play overseas (Australia).

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

  • Hired David Griffin as executive VP of basketball operations.
  • Hired Trajan Langdon as general manager.
  • Hired Swin Cash as VP of basketball operations and team development.
  • Exercised 2020/21 option on head coach Alvin Gentry.
  • Hired Jeff Bzdelik as lead defensive assistant coach to replace Darren Erman.
  • Darius Miller suffered ruptured Achilles; team awarded disabled player exception.
  • Nicolo Melli underwent knee surgery.
  • Established new G League team (Erie BayHawks).
  • Hired Greivis Vasquez as associated head coach of Erie BayHawks.

Salary cap situation:

  • Used cap space; now over the cap.
  • Carrying approximately $114.76MM in guaranteed salary.
  • $664K of room exception still available ($4.1MM used on Nicolo Melli).
  • $3.625MM disabled player exception available (expires on 3/10/2020).

Story of the summer:

It’s rare that an NBA team is able to transition from one franchise player to a new one as cleanly as the Pelicans did this offseason.

Okay, maybe “clean” isn’t the right adjective to describe a saga that began with Anthony Davis publicly issuing a midseason trade request that torpedoed New Orleans’ 2018/19 season and mired the club in second-half turmoil. That was actually kind of a mess.

But things looked significantly less messy after the Pelicans landed the No. 1 overall pick at the draft lottery in May, putting them in position to select Zion Williamson, the most hyped prospect to enter the NBA since… well, maybe Davis himself.

The Pelicans later turned the page on the Davis era by trading the big man to the Lakers, and despite the fact that they had little leverage to send him anywhere except his preferred destination, the Pels made out pretty well in the deal, acquiring multiple young players and future first-round picks.

As AD exited the frame and Zion entered, the Pelicans also underwent an important transition in the front office, where David Griffin was hired as the team’s new head of basketball operations. For years, the Pels had essentially been overseen by the New Orleans Saints’ management team, giving them the feel of a junior varsity squad. But Griffin’s arrival signaled an important changing of the guard.

Besides bringing a championship pedigree to the Pelicans, Griffin brought something more important: a focus on building an infrastructure and a culture. Whether that means overhauling the medical staff, building up the team’s analytics department, or addressing any other holes that had been left unfilled in the past, Griffin prioritized building that sustainable infrastructure from day one.

Williamson will be the face of the franchise for years to come, but if Griffin’s work is successful, this could also be remembered as the summer that the Pelicans moved out from the Saints’ shadow and began building a winning culture of their own.

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