New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Notes: Coaching Search, Green, Bouknight

July 10th, 2021 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s a “belief around the NBA” that Suns assistant Willie Green is the frontrunner to become the Pelicans‘ next head coach, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Green and Bucks assistant Charles Lee are considered to be the top two candidates, and with both involved in the NBA Finals, New Orleans may have to wait until that series wraps up before announcing a decision.

Green, 39, had a 12-year playing career and spent the 2010/11 season with New Orleans. His variety of NBA experiences, which include playing alongside Allen Iverson in Philadelphia and winning two titles as a coach with the Warriors, appeal to the Pelicans’ front office.

Stan Van Gundy came to New Orleans with a solid reputation, but wasn’t able to connect with the players during his eight months as head coach. Clark states that the priority with the next hire will be to find someone who can be encouraging but still command respect from the young roster, particularly Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

There’s more on the Pelicans:

Green’s combination of youth, success and playing experience might make him the best candidate for the job, per William Guillory of The Athletic. Green has a chance to win his third ring in the past five years, and he’s able to mix old-school coaching techniques with modern analytic theories, Guillory states.
New Orleans is taking a risk by waiting so long to hire its next coach, writes Jacob Rude of Yahoo Sports. More than three weeks have passed since Van Gundy was dismissed, and for the second straight year a new head coach will have minimal impact on draft and free agency decisions. Rude also recounts the questionable roster decisions that have taken place since David Griffin was hired as president of basketball operations and notes that some positive news is needed soon to convince Williamson that the franchise can become a contender.
Connecticut guard James Bouknight could be the answer to the Pelicans’ need for backcourt scoring if he’s still on the board at No. 10, Clark adds in a separate story. Bouknight averaged 18.7 points per game as a sophomore and is reportedly moving up draft boards. Clark observes that the 20-year-old is comfortable shooting from just about anywhere on the court and has the ability to finish through contact at the rim.

Draft Notes: Executive Roundup, Duarte, Monyyong, Lakers, Mini-Combine

July 10th, 2021 at 1:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

In a Draft Confidential column for The Athletic, Hall-of-Fame reporter David Aldridge interviews anonymous team executives and college coaches to get their inside scoop on the 2021 draft’s burning questions.

Some of the topics discussed: the Jalen Green versus Jalen Suggs debate, who will be the fourth guard taken after Suggs, Green, and Cade Cunningham are off the board (James Bouknight, Moses Moody, Davion Mitchell, and Keon Johnson are the top candidates), draft promises, some of the late risers (Joshua Primo, Nah’Shon Hyland, Miles McBride, and others), and a whole lot more.

We have more news from the draft:

Former Oregon guard Chris Duarte worked out for the Wizards on Thursday, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The 24-year-old sharpshooting guard also had workouts scheduled with the Thunder and Pelicans.
Ruot Monyyong had a workout with the Kings on Thursday, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Monyyong isn’t expected to be drafted, but could be a candidate for a two-way contract or Summer League invitation.
The Lakers worked out six players today, tweets Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register: Nah’Shon Hyland, Austin Reaves, Trey Murph y III, Oscar Da Silva, DJ Funderburk, and Chaundee Brown Jr. Hyland and Murphy are projected to be first-round picks, and could be in play for the Lakers with the No. 22 selection.
11 players participated in a mini-combine in Minneapolis, in front of 25 teams, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The participants were: McKinley Wright IV, Jalen Crutcher, Denzel Mahoney, Moses Wright, Nikita Mikhailovskii, Matt Coleman III, Colbey Ross, Jordan Schakel, Matt Mitchell, Brandon Rachal, and M.J. Walker.

Pelicans Considered Likely To Trade No. 10 Pick?

July 9th, 2021 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

People around the NBA believe there’s a good chance the Pelicans will move the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft in a deal that would bring back veteran help, says Zach Harper of The Athletic.

New Orleans already has a young roster and is expected to shop veterans like Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams this offseason in order to create more cap flexibility. Moving Bledsoe and/or Adams would make the roster even younger, perhaps making the Pelicans even less inclined to add another rookie to the mix.

Stan Van Gundy Further Discusses Pelicans Exit

July 8th, 2021 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on the Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz, former Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy spoke more about his exit from the organization, suggesting that he was more focused on what was happening on the court, while executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin was more concerned with “the atmosphere around the team and the happiness of people.” Christian Clark of NOLA.com has the full quote from Van Gundy.

Cavs, Rockets, Pelicans, Thunder Evaluating What It Would Take To Trade Up To No. 1

July 7th, 2021 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers, Rockets, Pelicans, and Thunder are among the teams that are “making overtures” to evaluate what it would take to trade up to the No. 1 spot in this year’s draft, sources tell Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Givony cautions that any talks are in the very early stages and says that if the Pistons make a deal involving the No. 1 pick, it would happen much closer to the draft. Givony adds that he’s skeptical at this point that Detroit would actually trade out of the top spot, suggesting that the team is simply leaving “no stone unturned” in its evaluations. The most likely scenario is that the Pistons stay put and snag top prospect Cade Cunningham.

Still, Givony – like several other reporters – has heard that the Pistons continue to do their homework on prospects like Jalen Green and “especially” Evan Mobley. The USC big man may be Detroit’s target if the team were to move down, according to Givony.

If the Pistons do want Mobley, they likely wouldn’t feel comfortable moving down further than the No. 2 or No. 3 spot, which would make Cleveland or Houston a logical trade partner. New Orleans (No. 10) and Oklahoma City (Nos. 6, 16, and 18) pick later in the lottery, though both teams have a huge surplus of future first-rounders that could intrigue Detroit if general manager Troy Weaver is open to the idea of moving out of the top five.

Willie Green, Charles Lee Among Top Candidates To Coach Pelicans

July 6th, 2021 at 8:06am CST by Luke Adams

Suns assistant Willie Green and Bucks assistant Charles Lee are “prominent” candidates in the Pelicans‘ head coaching search, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Earlier in the process, Nets assistant Jacque Vaughn was considered the frontrunner to replace Stan Van Gundy as New Orleans’ new head coach, but he withdrew from consideration last week for family reasons. Now, it appears the Pelicans have their eye on two other veteran assistant coaches. New Orleans’ own assistant, Fred Vinson, has also interviewed for the position, Stein notes.

A former NBA shooting guard, Green transitioned into the coaching ranks in 2016, working with the Warriors as an assistant for three seasons before making the move to Phoenix in 2019. He has been on Monty Williams‘ staff for the last two years and has generated some buzz as an up-and-coming head coaching candidate, having also talked to the Wizards and Magic about their vacancies.

Lee is also a former shooting guard, having played at Bucknell from 2002-06 and then in international leagues until 2010. After joining his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2012, he was hired as part of Mike Budenholzer‘s staff in Atlanta in 2014. Lee followed Budenholzer to Milwaukee in 2018 and – like Green – is now receiving head coaching interest from multiple teams — he’s said to be one of the Wizards’ finalists.

Green and Lee are set to face one another in the NBA Finals, beginning on Tuesday night.

While many candidates have been linked to the Wizards’ and Magic’s head coaching jobs, things have been relatively quiet on the Pelicans front. Besides the names mentioned above, Pelicans assistant Teresa Weatherspoon has been the only other contender confirmed to be in the mix, and David Griffin downplayed the chances of her being promoted. It’s possible New Orleans’ search has been fairly narrow, but it’s just as likely that a number of meetings have gone unreported.

Why Dealing For Lillard Makes Sense; Assessing Promise Of Vinson, Lee

July 3rd, 2021 at 4:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

If Trail Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard truly wants to be dealt from the team where he has spent his entire NBA career, the Pelicans should do all they can to acquire him in a trade, says Scott Kushner of NOLA.com. Given that New Orleans has 2020 All-Star Brandon Ingram and a litany of draft picks to trade, the club can at least get in the mix with a competitive offer, Kushner adds. Pairing Lillard with rising Pelicans All-Star Zion Williamson could benefit both players in their quest to win the West.
36-year-old Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee has served under two largely successful tenures with head coach Mike Budenholzer with the Hawks and Milwaukee since 2014. Will Guillory of The Athletic explores Lee’s potential fit guiding the similarly youthful roster of the Pelicans to the next level, should he become the club’s next head coach.
Current Pelicans assistant coach Fred Vinson, a former international player (who had a 13-game NBA cameo) known particularly for his skills as a shooting coach, has been on New Orleans’ bench since 2010. Will Guillory of The Athletic wonders if the 50-year-old is ready to take the next step with the team.

Stan Van Gundy: “Zion’s No Coach Killer”

July 2nd, 2021 at 11:51am CST by Arthur Hill

Stan Van Gundy only lasted one season with the Pelicans, but he doesn’t blame any of his players for his early departure, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Commenting publicly on the situation for the first time during an appearance on the “Stupodity” podcast, Van Gundy said players are often targeted undeservedly when there’s a coaching change.

“I hate when it gets put on players that players are getting coaches fired and things like that. I think that makes players look bad and I don’t think that’s fair,” he said. “Players certainly have the right to express their opinion to people and things like that but front offices and owners make decisions and they are the ones who make decisions to fire people. That should never be placed on players.

“I know this, regardless of what happened in that regard, (Zion Williamson)’s no coach killer. He’s a guy who is gonna help you win a lot of games. He plays the game the right way. One of the things I’ll miss is the opportunity to continue to coach him. He’s so unique in the way that he plays the game and the things that he can do, it really gets your mind spinning as a coach and you have a lot of possibilities in what you can do with him. That was fun to explore. I’m happy with what we did with Zion. I think we helped him. How anyone else felt about that would be up to them.”

Van Gundy was hired last year in an attempt to bring veteran leadership to a roster stocked with young talent. However, the Pelicans got off to a slow start and finished at 31-41, two games out of the final play-in spot. As the season wore on, there were reports that Williamson’s family was upset with how he was being used and was urging him to find a way out of New Orleans.

“I don’t know anything about that,” Van Gundy said. “In my mind, I liked coaching Zion. I had a good relationship with him. I had no problem. I think we elevated his platform that we gave him. We put him in different situations, had him handling the ball a lot, playing a lot of point guard. I think we did some good things with him.

“If they were unhappy, I didn’t hear about it. Zion was unhappy with us not winning more games, but Zion never expressed to me any of that. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t unhappy, it’s possible that they were unhappy with me and that’s what led to the change.”

Van Gundy also scoffed at how his departure was portrayed. In a press release announcing the move, the Pelicans framed it as a mutual decision, but Van Gundy says that’s not completely accurate. Executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin has cited “philosophical differences,” and Van Gundy admitted that he and the front office looked at coaching “totally different.”

“I would say it was joint in this sense: I think you can understand this, I don’t want to be somewhere they don’t want me. And they didn’t want me. I wasn’t at that point going to fight to try to stay there,” he said. “When I left Detroit, my owner there who I really liked Tom Gores, also said it was a mutual decision. I said yeah, ‘Tom asked me to leave so I left.’ I guess that’s mutual.”

Van Gundy defended the job he did with the Pelicans, noting that the team showed improvement on defense throughout the season, rising from 29th in defensive efficiency before the All-Star break to seventh afterward. He also endorsed assistant coach Fred Vinson as the best choice to replace him.

Van Gundy said he will miss the chance to further develop Williamson and believes he will eventually be one of the NBA’s top stars.

“Over the next five, six, seven years, this guy’s gonna have incredible growth,” Van Gundy said. Now where he really needs to make progress if he wants to win is at the defensive end. … He’s just a phenomenal talent and has great competitiveness. And you literally just cannot keep him from getting to the rim. There’s no way to play him to keep him from getting to the rim. Even when you know that’s where he’s going every time.”

Coaching Notes: W. Green, Vaughn, Team USA, L. Brown

June 30th, 2021 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

A new name has surfaced in the Pelicans‘ head coaching search, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says (via Twitter) that Suns assistant Willie Green is a candidate for the top job in New Orleans. While Fischer doesn’t specify whether the Pelicans have already talked to Green or have a meeting lined up with him, he reports that the former NBA wing has interviewed with both the Magic and Wizards, and made strong impression on both clubs.

Here are a few more coaching-related updates:

Although Jacque Vaughn decided to withdraw from consideration for all current head coaching openings, the Nets assistant does have interest in becoming a head coach again at some point, a source tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. If the right opportunity present itself a year from now, Vaughn would be more inclined to take it, Scotto says.
USA Basketball officially announced that Erik Spoelstra, who is coaching the U.S. Select Team in July, will be joined by a pair of notable assistants: Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, and Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley. The Select Team will primarily consist of younger players and will practice and scrimmage with Team USA’s Olympic squad in advance of the Tokyo games.
Penny Hardaway, who announced on Tuesday that he’ll remain at the University of Memphis, will be adding a Hall-of-Fame coach to his staff, as Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link) reports that Larry Brown is joining the Tigers’ staff as an assistant. Brown’s 1,098 NBA regular-season wins are the eighth-most in league history.
In case you missed it, we passed along items earlier today on the Wizards’ head coaching search and David Fizdale joining the Lakers’ coaching staff.

Pelicans To Work Out Joshua Primo

June 30th, 2021 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Besides Indiana, Primo is scheduled for workouts with the Pelicans, Hornets, Spurs, and Thunder, a source tells Wasserman (Twitter link). The draft’s youngest prospect, Primo is “firmly” in the first-round picture, Wasserman adds.