Pelicans Rumors

Pelicans Sign James Banks, Malcolm Hill; Waive Zylan Cheatham, Jared Harper

October 9th, 2021 at 5:16pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans have signed James Banks and Malcolm Hill, the team announced in a press release. In order to create the roster space to sign both players, the team waived Zylan Cheatham and Jared Harper.

Both of the signings were previously reported, and are now official.

Banks, a 6’10” center, went undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2020 after making the ACC All-Defensive Team in both his junior and senior seasons. He spent last season in Israel with Hapoel Be’er Sheva, playing 13 games while averaging 5.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 20.5 minutes per game. He most recently played for the Cavaliers at the Las Vegas Summer League.

Hill, a 6’6″ wing, is a well-traveled international veteran. He’s played for teams in the Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan and Israel over the past four seasons. During the 2020/21 season, Hill played for Hapoel Jerusalem.

Harper, a 5’10” point guard, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Suns in 2019/20, then spent most of last season on a two-way pact with the Knicks. Harper rarely saw NBA action, but he played well in the G League, averaging 20.5 PPG and 5.9 APG in 30 MPG across 46 games the past two seasons.

Cheatham spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with Pelicans. He played very well at the G League level, but only saw action in four NBA games. He received a full minimum salary last season as part of the Steven Adams sign-and-trade, but was waived by OKC before he ever played a game for the team. After being waived, Cheatham briefly spent time with Minnesota on an Exhibit 10 contract, then appeared in 15 G League games for the Iowa Wolves.

The Pelicans have 15 players with guaranteed contracts and both two-way slots are filled, so Banks and Hill are probably long shots to make the regular season roster. However, because both players are on Exhibit 10 deals, if they’re waived before the start of the regular season and spend at least 60 days with New Orleans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, they’d be eligible for bonuses worth up to $50K in addition to their G League salaries.

Pelicans Notes: Hayes, Alexander-Walker, Valanciunas, Rotation Battles

October 8th, 2021 at 8:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans coach Willie Green seems to envision an expanded role for third-year center Jaxson Hayes.

“I think Jaxson is going to be huge for us this season,” Green said, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com.

Hayes has been in and out of the Pelicans’ rotation the past two seasons, showcasing rare athleticism for a big man, but questionable decision making. Clark notes that Hayes added muscle over the offseason, bulking up to 235 pounds from his listed weight of 220 last season. He’s also been working on his jump shot, and Clark says teammate Nickeil Alexander-Walker has taken notice.

“It’s amazing how fast he is and how fast he gets up and down the floor,” Alexander-Walker said of Hayes. “Athletic. Shooting the ball really well. Added that to his game.”

Clark adds that in an effort to put his legal troubles behind him, Hayes has been spending more time with family. His father, Jonathan, an ex-NFL player and coach, has temporarily moved in with Jaxson to provide stability and guidance.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Alexander-Walker has matured his game in multiple ways this offseason, writes William Guillory of The Athletic in an excellent interview feature. Alexander-Walker says he’s changed his mental approach to cope with the ups and downs of life in the NBA: “You have to take everything and break it down. You’ve got to take it day-by-day. I got in trouble when I was trying to fast-forward my way through the process. It’s easy to get caught in that tornado, and you don’t know where it’s going to take you. But I had to learn about staying in the moment. Not getting caught up in anything that’s not about where are we right now. Beating yourself up over a bad shooting night isn’t how you get better. It’s about staying consistent in your process regardless of what comes at you.“
Likely starting center Jonas Valanciunas has looked engaged thus far in the preseason, Clark writes in another piece. Clark notes the Pelicans lacked a mean streak and veteran leadership last season, and believes Valanciunas could help fill that void.
Guillory explored the team’s depth chart battles in another recent article. He believes that a supersized starting lineup of Alexander-Walker, Trey Murphy, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and Valanciunas could be the team’s best bet for a combination of offense and defense, but thinks that offseason addition Devonte’ Graham will ultimately start alongside Alexander-Walker. He also thinks that Kira Lewis should have the upper hand over Tomas Satoransky for backup point guard duty, although admits that it could change from game to game. Hayes suffered a sprained ankle on Monday, according to Guillory, who believes that if Hayes is unavailable for the regular season opener, rookie Herb Jones will act as backup center due to his strong defensive play.

And-Ones: Faried, Injuries, Revenue Sharing, Ignite

October 4th, 2021 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA big man Kenneth Faried signed with Puerto Rican team Leones de Ponce last week, as our JD Shaw tweets.

Faried, who will turn 32 next month, hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2018/19 season, but hasn’t given up on getting back into the league. He reportedly received some consideration from the Knicks in the spring, then played for Portland’s Las Vegas Summer League team in August and worked out for the Lakers in September. For now though, Faried’s professional career will continue outside the NBA.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

ESPN’s team of basketball writers took a league-wide look at the injuries that will (or could) compromise players’ availability for opening night, checking in on where in the recovery process those players are and when we might see them back on the court.
Within a larger story about the Pelicans‘ ownership situation and succession plan, team president Dennis Lauscha shared an interesting tidbit, telling Jeff Duncan and Lee Zurik of NOLA.com that commissioner Adam Silver has said the NBA’s next Collective Bargaining Agreement will include an “enhanced revenue sharing model” to further assist smaller-market teams. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports has more details.
Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer takes a deep dive into the G League Ignite, exploring where the NBA G League’s developmental team stands after its first season and how the league envisions the program growing in the coming years.

Southwest Notes: Spurs Roster, Pelicans, Sengun, Porter

October 3rd, 2021 at 1:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Though the 2021/22 Spurs roster may confuse some outsiders, head coach Gregg Popovich indicates that the team was constructed with plenty of intentionality, Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express News writes. Finger notes that the club’s front office appears to be open-minded about the potential of the team this season.

“This was purposeful, what you are seeing,” Popovich said. “It was put together with a lot of foresight and a lot of discussion.”

Finger notes that the keys to the franchise have now been handed to intriguing young players like Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker, Keldon Johnson, and rookie lottery selection Joshua Primo.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

With the first week of Pelicans training camp in the books, Christian Clark, Scott Kushner and Rod Walker of NOLA.com assess the latest news out of New Orleans. The team discussed the unified front presented by injured Pelicans All-Star forward Zion Williamson and head of basketball operations David Griffin, the apparent increased strength of 2020 All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, new head coach Willie Green, and more.
The rebuilding Rockets appear ready to use the 2021/22 season to develop their youth. Rookie forward Alperen Sengun, the No. 16 pick in this year’s draft, is already leaving his mark with the club, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “He showed he can play in the high post and make plays for other guys, no look passes, all kinds of stuff, which is really good,” head coach Stephen Silas noted after an early practice. “Then, when he catches it in the paint, he has pivots and fakes, and all that. He’s going to be exciting for people to see.”
Talented swingman Kevin Porter Jr. is ready to grow with the Rockets, his second NBA team so far, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I want to be able to do everything great,” Porter said. During his first season in Houston, Porter averaged 16.6 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.8 RPG and 0.7 SPG across 26 games.

Southwest Notes: Zion, Exum, Grizzlies, Terry

October 2nd, 2021 at 6:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans star Zion Williamson continued his effort to quell speculation that he’s unhappy in New Orleans during an interview Friday with SiriusXM NBA Radio (Twitter link). Williamson expressed his fondness for the city and indicated that he sees a long-term future with the team.

“I love it here,” he said. “Anybody that knows me … they know that I love New Orleans. This is the city for me.”

The comments echoed a statement that Williamson made on media day in the wake of reports that some family members are urging him to seek a more successful team in a larger market and that he might have a shaky relationship with head of basketball operations David Griffin. Williamson will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.

During the same interview, Williamson discussed improvements that he made to his game during the offseason, including an expanded use of floaters and midrange shots (hat tip to Oleh Kosel of TheBirdWrites.com). He also expressed a determination to reach the playoffs after missing them in his first two NBA seasons.

“It was a sickening feeling,” Williamson said. “We weren’t in the playoffs — and I’m watching the playoffs — I’m like, man, we can be there. Like I know we can be there this year. Man, something just took over me and I was like, yeah, it’s not happening again. It’s not happening no more. When I started training, everything, from every rep, everything just felt personal. Everything was like, nah, nothing this year is going to stop us from getting into the playoffs. Like, we’re going to do this. I’m going to make sure I do my part and more, to make sure my teammates see me working.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Rockets guard Dante Exum had an impressive showing in the Olympics and wants to carry it over to the NBA, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Injuries have hampered Exum’s career over the past six years and he played only six games last season, all with Cleveland before being traded in January. However, Exum is only 26 and is determined to show the league what he can do. “I feel great,” he said. “I feel probably the best I felt since I’ve gotten into the league. I feel strong, healthy, ready to take on 82 games.”
The Grizzlies have made moves over the past two offseasons to upgrade at the wing, but Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian contends the position is already in good hands with Dillon Brooks and Kyle Anderson.
Mavericks guard Tyrell Terry is away from the team temporarily to attend to a family matter, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. There’s not a set time for Terry to return.

Benson Won't Sell Franchise

October 1st, 2021 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans hope to be fully vaccinated by opening night, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune relays. “The league has done a really, really good job of making it almost unanimous that almost everyone is fully vaccinated,” executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin said. “I would say that by the time the regular season rolls around, we get to that point.”
The Pelicans have received numerous offers from interested buyers but owner Gayle Benson isn’t selling, Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune reports. Despite disadvantages such as having one of the lowest TV revenue deals in the league, Benson is intent on keeping the franchise and leaving it in New Orleans. “There is no way, as long as I’m going to be alive, that I would sell the Pelicans,” Benson said.

Pelicans Notes: Ingram, Zion, Murphy, Succession Plan

September 30th, 2021 at 7:25pm CST by Rory Maher

As he prepares to play for his third head coach in the past three seasons, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is looking for more stability under Willie Green, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Ingram has added some muscle mass to his lean frame, and he thinks it will help him be more efficient around the rim.

“I thought it would help my game out a lot, just the way I’m playing,” Ingram said. “Driving to the basket. Taking a lot of contact. I wanted to be able to deliver the blows. Being able to finish. Being in good, low positions. And being able to finish. It was something I just wanted to work on this summer.”

Ingram has also taken on a leadership role for the Pelicans, Clark notes, helping to organize voluntary workouts in Phoenix over the summer. Green believes the key to Ingram’s new role as a team leader is to be himself.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him lead in his way. I think that’s the key for Brandon. Not to try to do something that is not him. I can see that early with who he is and what his personality is. He’s been great all summer.”

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

William Guillory of The Athletic recently spoke to Jeff Stotts, a certified athletic trainer who runs a website tracking injuries and how they affect NBA players, about whether Zion Williamson‘s injury might be a cause for long-term concern. Stotts says that Williamson’s fractured fifth metatarsal on his right foot has a relatively high re-injury rate, and can be especially problematic for larger players, noting that Kevin Durant, Brook Lopez, and Glen Davis all suffered setbacks with similar injuries. Guillory adds that this is the third injury to Zion’s right leg since 2019, which is certainly worrisome. However, Stotts says that Pelicans head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson is elite, as his teams have consistently been in the top tier for fewest games missed due to injury or illness, and Robin Lopez had a successful recovery from the same injury while under Nelson’s care in Phoenix.
Rookie Trey Murphy is “one of many” players in the running for a starting roster spot, Clark writes for NOLA.com. Clark thinks Murphy’s ability to space the floor and make quick reads could be a nice complement for stars Ingram and Williamson.
Pelicans owner Gayle Benson recently revealed the franchise’s long-term succession plan, per Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com, with the primary goal to keep the team in New Orleans.

Southwest Notes: Zion, Vaccinations, Temple, Harrison, Brooks

September 27th, 2021 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Addressing reporters at the Pelicans‘ Media Day on Monday, star forward Zion Williamson expressed a desire to remain with the franchise for the foreseeable future.

“I love it here. I love the city of New Orleans,” Williamson said, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link). “I don’t wanna be anywhere else.”

An offseason report suggested that some of Williamson’s family members want him out of New Orleans, while a more recent story suggested he and Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin aren’t on particularly great terms. However, after dismissing the idea that he wants to leave the Pelicans, Williamson also downplayed the idea that there’s any frostiness between him and Griffin.

“It’s all love with me and Griff,” Williamson said. “… We’re both competitors, we both want to win. Do we disagree on some things? Yes. But no one agrees on everything.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Griffin said today that there are one or two players left on the Pelicans‘ roster who remain unvaccinated, while Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said his team is 100% vaccinated (Twitter links via William Guillory of The Athletic and Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News). Meanwhile, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd estimated that his players are about 90% vaccinated, adding that the goal is to get that number to 100% by opening night (Twitter links via Callie Caplan and Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News).
Veteran Pelicans guard Garrett Temple said he’s interested in getting into coaching or front office work after he retires, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Temple added that his preference would likely be a front office role, since coaching can be “finicky.”
Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News shares an in-depth profile of new Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison, detailing the long path Harrison took to becoming Dallas’ lead basketball decision-maker.
Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks will be a full participant in training camp, head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said today (Twitter link via Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian). Brooks was out for eight weeks this summer after breaking his hand in two spots, tweets Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian.

2021/22 NBA Over/Unders: Southwest Division

September 27th, 2021 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

The 2021/22 NBA regular season will get underway in just over three weeks, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to resume an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2020/21, our voters went 17-13 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’21/22?

As a reminder, the NBA played a 72-game schedule in 2020/21, so a team that won 41 games last year finished with a 41-31 record. This year, a club that wins 41 games would be a .500 team (41-41). For added clarity, we’ve noted the record that each team would have to achieve to finish “over” its projected win total.

We’ll turn today to the Southeast division…

Dallas Mavericks

2020/21 record: 42-30
Over/under for 2021/22: 48.5 wins (49-33)
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Reggie Bullock, Sterling Brown, Frank Ntilikina, Moses Brown
- Lost: Josh Richardson, J.J. Redick, Nicolo Melli, Tyler Bey

Memphis Grizzlies

2020/21 record: 38-34
Over/under for 2021/22: 41.5 wins (42-40)
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Steven Adams, Ziaire Williams, Santi Aldama, Jarrett Culver, Kris Dunn, Sam Merrill
- Lost: Jonas Valanciunas, Grayson Allen, Justise Winslow, Tim Frazier, Jontay Porter

New Orleans Pelicans

2020/21 record: 31-41
Over/under for 2021/22: 39.5 wins (40-42)
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Jonas Valanciunas, Devonte’ Graham, Tomas Satoransky, Garrett Temple, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones
- Lost: Lonzo Ball, Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, James Johnson, Wesley Iwundu

San Antonio Spurs

2020/21 record: 33-39
Over/under for 2021/22: 29.5 wins (30-52)
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Thaddeus Young, Doug McDermott, Zach Collins, Joshua Primo, Bryn Forbes, Al-Farouq Aminu, Jock Landale
- Lost: DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, Rudy Gay, Trey Lyles, Gorgui Dieng, DaQuan Jeffries

Houston Rockets

2020/21 record: 17-55
Over/under for 2021/22: 26.5 wins (27-55)
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Daniel Theis, Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba, Josh Christopher
- Lost: Kelly Olynyk, Sterling Brown, Avery Bradley, D.J. Wilson

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

Brooklyn Nets (55.5 wins): Over (63.2%)
Philadelphia 76ers (51.5 wins): Under (70.0%)
Boston Celtics (46.5 wins): Over (58.1%)
New York Knicks (42.5 wins): Over (65.1%)
Toronto Raptors (36.5 wins): Under (50.6%)

Central:

Milwaukee Bucks (54.5 wins): Over (63.7%)
Indiana Pacers (42.5 wins): Under (58.2%)
Chicago Bulls (42.5 wins): Over (68.3%)
Cleveland Cavaliers (26.5 wins): Under (50.5%)
Detroit Pistons (25.5 wins): Under (52.6%)

Southeast:

Miami Heat (48.5 wins): Under (53.6%)
Atlanta Hawks (47.5 wins): Over (62.2%)
Charlotte Hornets (38.5 wins): Over (54.5%)
Washington Wizards (34.5 wins): Over (54.9%)
Orlando Magic (22.5 wins): Under (53.8%)

Northwest:

Utah Jazz (52.5 wins): Over (61.7%)
Denver Nuggets (48.5 wins): Over (69.3%)
Portland Trail Blazers (44.5 wins): Over (53.0%)
Minnesota Timberwolves (34.5 wins): Under (57.1%)
Oklahoma City Thunder (23.5 wins): Under (65.0%)

Pacific:

Los Angeles Lakers (52.5 wins): Over (58.2%)
Phoenix Suns (51.5 wins): Over (58.6%)
Golden State Warriors (48.5 wins): Over (50.3%)
Los Angeles Clippers (43.5 wins): Over (51.2%)
Sacramento Kings (36.5 wins): Under (66.0%)

Zion Williamson Recovering From Offseason Foot Surgery

September 27th, 2021 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans star Zion Williamson underwent surgery on his right foot this offseason, executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told reporters today (video link).

According to Griffin, Williamson fractured his foot while working out prior to Summer League (Twitter links via Andrew Lopez of ESPN). The former No. 1 overall pick broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

Griffin added that he doesn’t think it’s “terribly likely” that Williamson will play in preseason games, but said the team has been working closely with him during his recovery and believes he’ll be ready for the regular season next month.

While it’s a bit ominous that Williamson – who has dealt with leg injuries in the past – is on the mend again, and that the Pelicans waited until now to announce it, it may not have a major impact on the team if the prognosis presented by Griffin is accurate and Zion doesn’t miss time during the regular season.

Still, that’s a big “if” and it’s probably safe to assume the Pelicans will be cautious with their franchise player — he may not play both games of back-to-back sets right away, for instance, or he may be eased back into action on a minutes limit. His recovery will be worth watching closely in the coming weeks.

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