- Following a victory in Portland on Monday, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry told reporters that he took the blame for limiting E’Twaun Moore‘s minutes in recent weeks (Twitter link via Scott Kushner of The Advocate). Moore, who started 36 games and averaged 27.6 MPG last season, has fallen out of the rotation at times in 2019/20, which is a contract year for him. He has averaged 11.5 PPG in 22.9 MPG in two games this week, both Pelicans wins.
- The reintegration of Derrick Favors into the Pelicans‘ lineup has been another factor keying the team’s improved play as of late, writes Will Guillory of The Athletic. A free agent at season’s end, Favors could be a trade candidate this winter.
Zion Williamson continues to make progress as he recovers from surgery on his right knee and his rehab process has been about more than just the recovery. The Pelicans are working with Williamson to alter his walking and running style, focusing with the big man on the kinetic chain of his body, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com relays.
While that doesn’t sound great, Williamson insists he “trusts the organization” when it comes to the Pelicans’ decision-making and plan for him.
Williamson has performed individual shooting drills and group drills but hasn’t yet participated in 5-on-5 or 3-on-3 type drills. The franchise would like Williamson to undergo two or three full practices before he plays in a game. The Pelicans are targeting the very beginning of the 2020 calendar year for those practices to take place.
“He is making progress. He is in rehab,” coach Alvin Gentry said of Williamson. “He is doing everything that he’s supposed to do and he’s moving forward toward playing,”
Magic swingman Evan Fournier is the player most likely to be moved before the trade deadline, according to an ESPN Insider report from Bobby Marks.
While there’s no indication Fournier is being shopped, a straw poll of NBA executives believe that the Magic will need to start exploring their trade options on the veteran, who is likely to leave $17.2MM on the table and opt out this summer. Orlando is currently battling for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Fournier is enjoying a career year, averaging 19.6 PPG and shooting 42.3% from long range.
Here are more nuggets from the ESPN report:
- Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday is the trade candidate that teams would risk their assets to acquire, according to the same straw poll. Holiday is under contract through the 2021/22 season, though he also has an opt-out in the final season. He’s eligible to sign an extension this summer.
- The summer of 2021 might not yield the free agency bonanza than many people anticipate. Giannis Antetokounmpo would be the biggest attraction if he doesn’t sign an extension with Milwaukee but LeBron James, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are already at their preferred destination and probably won’t want to go elsewhere. Holiday, Spencer Dinwiddie, Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre and Rudy Gobert would headline that free agent class unless Antetokounmpo or the L.A. trio tests the market.
- Several players with big contracts could be bought out and hit the free agent market after they clear waivers, unless a trade partner comes along and wants to retain them. That group includes Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner, Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Andre Iguodala, Jeff Teague, Marcus Morris and Derrick Favors, who are all making at least $15MM this season.
- ESPN’s Andrew Lopez (Twitter link) reports that Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry has lifted the team’s minutes restriction on starting center Derrick Favors. Gentry anticipates Favors playing 25-27 minutes. He has averaged 20.9 minutes a night in 14 games this season.
Over the course of the 2019/20 NBA season, up until February’s trade deadline, we’re keeping an eye on potential trade candidates from around the NBA, monitoring their value and exploring the likelihood that they’ll be moved. Each of these looks at possible trade candidates focuses on a specific division, as we zero in on three players from that division.
The Southwest could end up being one of the NBA’s most interesting divisions as the trade deadline approaches. The Mavericks and Rockets are headed for the postseason and may be motivated to make roster upgrades. On the other end of the spectrum, the Grizzlies were always willing to sell, and disappointing seasons may clear the way for the Spurs and Pelicans to join them as sellers.
After initially identifying three trade candidates from the Southwest last month, we’re examining three more today. Let’s dive in…
Jrue Holiday, G
New Orleans Pelicans
$26.2MM cap hit; $26.2MM cap hit in 2020/21; $27.1MM player option for 2021/22
Marc Stein of The New York Times injected some intrigue into this season’s trade market on Tuesday when he suggested that the Pelicans no longer view Jrue Holiday as untouchable. A two-time All-Defensive player and a former All-Star, Holiday is capable of playing on or off the ball and may be the most appealing trade chip on the market this winter.
Of course, just because the Pelicans are open to listening to inquires doesn’t mean they’ll simply take the best offer they get for Holiday at the deadline. It will likely require a substantial package to pry him out of New Orleans, particularly since he’s under contract for at least one more year beyond this season — the Pels could wait until the offseason or even the 2021 deadline to shop Holiday more aggressively.
If the Pelicans do seriously consider a deal this season, I’d expect the team to seek a package with a similar structure to the one they got for Davis, featuring a mix of young players and draft picks. The Nuggets, Heat, and Timberwolves are among the teams that should be motivated to pursue Holiday and might have the assets to get something done.
DeMar DeRozan, SG
San Antonio Spurs
$27.7MM cap hit; $27.7MM player option for 2020/21
Another former All-Star, DeRozan almost certainly won’t be as sought-after a trade target as Holiday, even if the Spurs convey a willingness to move him. He’s not a strong defender and his limitations from beyond the arc will turn some teams off.
For instance, Orlando is in need of scoring help and reportedly expressed interest in DeRozan, but given their roster construction, the Magic would likely prefer a player who can stretch the floor and help improve their spacing. DeRozan isn’t that player.
DeRozan’s contract also complicates matters. A team focused on 2021 flexibility may like the idea of acquiring the veteran guard and having him exercise his 2020/21 player option to keep him around for the next year-and-a-half. But there’s no guarantee DeRozan won’t opt out at season’s end, so a potential trade partner would have to be comfortable with either losing him in 2020 or ponying up for a new contract at that time.
Throw in the fact that the Spurs haven’t made a midseason trade in nearly six years and there are plenty of factors working against a DeRozan deal. But if San Antonio continues to slip out of playoff contention, it’s an idea the team will have to at least consider.
Jae Crowder, F
Memphis Grizzlies
$7.8MM cap hit; UFA in 2020
Andre Iguodala has been the most-discussed trade candidate in Memphis, but teams in need of help on the wing may end up pivoting to Crowder instead.
Unlike Iguodala, Crowder has actually played this season, averaging more than 31 minutes per game in 26 starts for the Grizzlies. It hasn’t been one of his best seasons – his shooting line has slipped to .376/.314/.746 – but Crowder is averaging career-best rates in rebounds and assists and remains capable of filling a three-and-D role.
Perhaps most importantly, his expiring contract has a cap charge nearly $10MM less than Iguodala’s $17MM+ figure. A non-taxpaying team would only have to send out about $4.4MM in salary to meet the salary-matching requirements for Crowder, which would be much more realistic for several contending teams that lack expendable mid-level contracts.
Revisit the rest of our 2019/20 Trade Candidate series right here.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Heat inquired about a trade for Chris Paul during the offseason but never came close to an agreement with the Thunder. And at this point, Miami’s interest in Paul is “extinct,” league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
A trade involving the Heat and CP3 always seemed like a long shot, since Miami and Oklahoma City didn’t see eye-to-eye on the veteran point guard’s trade value and Pat Riley didn’t want to compromise his club’s cap flexibility for the 2021 offseason. However, O’Connor’s suggestion that the Heat’s interest is now non-existent is perhaps a significant reason why the Thunder and Paul’s camp reportedly have “no belief” that a trade will happen this season.
Here’s more from O’Connor:
- Rather than going after Paul, the Heat are considered more likely to pursue a trade for Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, O’Connor hears from multiple league executives. Any major trade may be tricky for the hard-capped Heat to pull off, but Marc Stein of The New York Times reported on Tuesday that New Orleans is open to inquiries on Holiday.
- Before the Pelicans make any significant roster moves, they’re probably more likely to make a head coaching change, two front office sources tell O’Connor. Multiple reports earlier this month indicated that Alvin Gentry‘s job was safe for now, but the club’s ongoing losing streak has extended to 13 games since then, so Gentry’s seat may be getting hotter.
- It’s no secret around the NBA that the Heat are among the teams hoping to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo if he reaches free agency in 2021, O’Connor writes. While he cautions that it might be a “pipe dream,” O’Connor argues that Miami will be well-positioned to make a strong pitch to a star free agent that summer, since the team could theoretically retain Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, Justise Winslow, and Duncan Robinson and still open up enough cap room for a max player like Giannis.
Zion Williamson continues to rehab from the surgery he had on his right knee back in October and he’s taken another step toward making his debut for the Pelicans. The big man has resumed full weight-bearing exercises, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com writes.
Pelicans VP of basketball operations David Griffin is pleased with the progress Williamson is making, though the executive wouldn’t supply an anticipated return date when speaking with Lopez.
“We’re really excited with where he’s at,” Griffin said. “He’s made really good progress. I know we’ve reached the eight-week point, and everyone is ready to see him. I think we’re a little ways away yet, but today was a really big first step.”
Williamson hasn’t yet returned to practice and there is no definite timetable for that to occur either.
“It’s an important time for him because he’s fully weight-bearing,” Griffin said. “If we’re going to see a setback, it would be now. The teammates, the way they responded to him, the joy he has when he’s on the floor is evident. And we’ve obviously needed that.”
While Oklahoma City is exceeding expectations this season, GM Sam Presti is still operating with the franchise’s long-term future in mind, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman writes. Chris Paul is unlikely to be dealt before the deadline, but his play could be increasing his trade value and that helps the team’s long-term position, whether a trade happens this season or down the road. On Monday night, Paul had arguably his best game as a member of the Thunder, scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter as the team beat the Bulls.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Tony Jones of The Athletic wonders if the Jazz can turn their season around on their own or if the team needs to make a trade. While Utah could use additional depth, the franchise doesn’t have many assets that would make a trade worthwhile.
- Darius Miller, who is recovering from a torn Achilles, spoke with William Guillory of The Athletic about his journey back to the court as well as the differences between the Pelicans this season vs. last. “Of course, we’ve had our ups and downs, but it’s a great group of guys,” Miller said. “Griff (head of basketball operations David Griffin) did a great job putting great teammates here, great people. Not just great basketball players, but great people. It’s been good getting to know all these guys. We’re still young, so we’re really just trying to figure out everything.”
- Paul Pierce believes that the Pelicans should shut down Zion Williamson for the season, as he explains on ESPN’s The Jump. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick hasn’t played for New Orleans yet this season because of a knee injury.
The Pelicans are believed to consider Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram untouchable in trade talks, and have remained reluctant to trade J.J. Redick, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter links). However, according to Stein, there’s a belief that Jrue Holiday is available via trade.
Stein cautions that it would surely require a substantial offer to convince the Pelicans to part with Holiday. Based on Stein’s report, it sounds like the team is open to listening to inquiries, but won’t actively shop its standout guard.
Still, as recently as this summer, when David Griffin took over as New Orleans’ head of basketball operations, Holiday was viewed as entirely off-limits. It appears the club’s dismal 6-21 start to the season has influenced the front office’s thinking on the subject.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested on Sunday that Holiday loves New Orleans, but might not be opposed to a change of scenery if it means avoiding an extensive rebuild.
Holiday, 29, is considered one of the NBA’s best defensive guards, and has also been his usual productive self on offense so far this season. In 25 games, he has averaged 19.4 PPG, 6.8 APG, and 5.0 RPG with a .454 FG% and a .338 3PT%. He has shot 48.9% from the field and 38.9% on threes over his last 17 games, following an early-season slump.
Holiday is under contract through at least 2020/21, with matching cap hits of $26.2MM this season and next season. He also has a $27.1MM player option for 2021/22. If the Pelicans begin fielding trade offers in earnest, he could quickly become the most intriguing player on the trade block this winter.
The Pelicans entered the season without championship expectations as the team embraces year one of the post-Anthony Davis era. However, not many expected the team to have a record of 6-21, and some of the blame for that poor performance falls on Alvin Gentry. Still, the head coach is confident that he can turn things around and isn’t worried about the possibility of being let go before he’s given the chance to do so.
“I’ve been in the league 31 years, I don’t ever worry about anything that I don’t have any control over,” Gentry said (via William Guillory of The Athletic). “I don’t have any control over that. You would have to ask that question to the people that have control. I just know I’m going to come in to work every day and do everything I can to get this turned around.”
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes that it’s “highly unlikely” R.C. Buford would leave the Spurs to take a potential top role with the Knicks. Buford is under contract for multiple seasons after the 2019/20 campaign, per Begley.
- In the same piece, Begley names Mavericks GM/president Donnie Nelson as a candidate for the Knicks‘ potential top executive role. The scribe hears that Nelson is an at-will employee, so New York wouldn’t have to offer Dallas any compensation to hire him as the team would with Masai Ujiri or other executives under contract.
- The Rockets should do whatever it takes to land Robert Covington in a trade, Kelly Iko of The Athletic contends. Iko believes RoCo would mesh well with James Harden and Russell Westbrook.