New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Julius Randle Wants To Remain With Pelicans Long-Term

September 25th, 2018 at 7:16pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Julius Randle joined the Pelicans this offseason on a two-year deal, one that includes a player option on the second season. Although he can go elsewhere next summer, Randle reiterated that he doesn’t plan on leaving. He wants his move to New Orleans to be a “long-term thing,” Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link) relays.

The power forward will get a chance to play alongside Anthony Davis, a player whose skill set complements Randle nicely. Davis and Nikola Mirotic can both spread the floor, meaning that in most rotations, Randle should find space in the paint. Randle added that he’s in the “perfect situation for a basketball player.”

The Kentucky product played in 238 games for the Lakers after the team took him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Los Angeles renounced his rights, creating the cap space necessary to sign LeBron James and several other players this past summer.

Randle had arguably his finest season in California during the 2017/18 campaign. He scored a career-high 16.1 points per contest and had a true shooting percentage of 60.6. His player efficiency rating was 19.9.

Jahlil Okafor: Joining Pelicans A 'No-Brainer'

September 24th, 2018 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

As Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com details, Jahlil Okafor said there were a “multitude of reasons” for him to sign with the Pelicans, calling the decision a “no-brainer.” Keith Smith of RealGM.com (Twitter link) hears that New Orleans was comfortable with waiving Emeka Okafor in part due to how good Jahlil has looked. “He’s in amazing shape, and he’s going hard on both ends too,” Smith’s source said. “Seems like he really gets it now.”

Anthony Davis Signs With Rich Paul Of Klutch Sports

September 23rd, 2018 at 3:28pm CST by marksuleymanov

Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis has signed with agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, the company announced on Sunday. Klutch Sports represents 20 NBA players, most notably LeBron James, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

As we noted earlier this month, Davis parted ways with longtime agent Thad Foucher and that Paul was the leading candidate to become his new representation. Davis, 25, has two years and $52MM left on his deal with the New Orleans in addition to a $29MM player option for the 2020/21 campaign. It will be key to watch how Davis’ new representation handles the five-year, $235MM max extension he will be eligible for next summer.

In 75 games last season, Davis averaged 28.1 PPG and 11.1 RPG, finishing third in NBA Most Valuable Player voting.

There have been waves of trade speculation surrounding Davis, who could eventually look to join a bigger-market organization if the Pelicans don’t move any closer toward title contention within the next year or two.

Suns Have Inquired On Tyus Jones

September 21st, 2018 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

12:58pm: The Suns aren’t the only team to inquire on Jones, though they’ve been the most active in trying to acquire him, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN, noting that the Pelicans have liked him in the past.

According to Wolfson, the Timberwolves have told teams they aren’t interested in moving Jones right now. They also haven’t engaged in extension talks yet with the fourth-year point guard.

8:22am: The Suns, who remain on the lookout for possible point guard targets, have asked about Timberwolves guard Tyus Jones, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe. It’s not clear how recently that inquiry happened, or if the two teams engaged in any discussions.

Jones appeared in all 82 games for the Timberwolves last season, averaging 5.1 PPG and 2.8 APG as Jeff Teague‘s backup at the point. However, the club acquired Derrick Rose late in the year and re-signed him in the offseason, raising some questions about Jones’ role. According to a June report, Teague suggested last season that the 22-year-old – who averaged 17.9 MPG – should play more.

That same report indicated that Jones considered requesting a trade, but that head coach Tom Thibodeau “reasserted his support” for the youngster, assuring him his role will increase in 2018/19 despite Rose’s return, due to the departure of Jamal Crawford. Still, Jones is entering a contract year and will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2019, so if Minnesota isn’t certain of his long-term role, it could make sense to gauge his trade value.

As for the Suns, they’ve traded Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight within the last year, leaving them without a clear-cut starting point guard. Patrick Beverley, Cory Joseph, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Terry Rozier are among the other potential Phoenix trade targets named by various reports.

For now, the Suns’ depth chart at the point features Shaquille Harrison, De’Anthony Melton, Elie Okobo, and Isaiah Canaan. Canaan is on a non-guaranteed contract while Melton – acquired in a deal with the Rockets – remains unsigned.

Southwest Notes: Davis, Pelicans, Anderson, Mavericks

September 19th, 2018 at 6:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler may be the next star to be traded, but Anthony Davis won’t be joining him, according to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Appearing on a podcast with Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports, Bontemps said there’s a “zero percent chance” the Pelicans will part with Davis this season [hat tip to Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype).

Next summer, Davis will be eligible for a five-year supermax contract that could become the richest deal in NBA history, Bontemps explains. It’s possible that a trade involving Davis could happen in a few years if he decides he’s not happy in New Orleans or doesn’t view the team as a contender, but Bontemps said he won’t go anywhere until he has that contract in hand.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

This Pelicans‘ roster turnover this summer may present the biggest challenges on defense, writes Scott Kushner of The Advocate. New Orleans got noticed for its fast pace last season, but one of the overlooked factors in its success was team defense, which was fourth best in the league after February 1 at 103.4 points per 100 possessions. Davis and Jrue Holiday were first-team All-Defense honorees, but newcomers Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton, who both had negative defensive efficiency numbers last season, have to prove that they contribute at that end of the court.
The decision to gamble on former Spurs forward Kyle Anderson may help decide Chris Wallace’s future as GM of the Grizzlies, suggests Mark Giannotto of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Huge contracts for Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons were already straining the team’s cap when Wallace decided to extend a four-year, $37.2MM offer sheet to Anderson. San Antonio elected not to match, so Anderson will be in Memphis’ training camp next week as its top free agent addition of the summer. It’s a huge risk based on Anderson’s career numbers, which included a career-high 7.9 PPG and 5.4 RPG last season. Giannotto states that the Grizzlies should look to replace Wallace if it doesn’t work out.
Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News takes a look at some of the key figures in the Mavericks‘ workplace misconduct case, which resulted in a settlement that was announced today.

Jarrett Jack Signs With Pelicans

September 19th, 2018 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 19: The signing is official, the Pelicans announced on their website.

SEPTEMBER 17: Veteran point guard Jarrett Jack has agreed to a one-year contract with the Pelicans, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Jack, 34, will be on the opening-night roster. The contract isn’t guaranteed, Charania adds in another tweet, so he’ll have to compete for one of the backup point guard spots.

New Orleans is well-stocked at point guard with starter Jrue Holiday along with Elfrid Payton, Frank Jackson and Darius Morris on the roster, though Jackson has undergone three foot surgeries and also sprained his ankle in summer-league action.

Along with Morris, the Pelicans have a handful of other players on non-guaranteed or partially-guaranteed deals, including Emeka Okafor, Jahlil Okafor, Troy Williams, Kenrich Williams and Garlon Green.

This is Jack’s third stint with the Pelicans. He played with them during the 2010/11 season and also saw action in two games during the 2016/17 campaign. He played 62 games with the Knicks last season, including 56 starts, and averaged 7.5 PPG and 5.6 APG in 25.0 MPG.

Pelicans Waive Emeka Okafor

September 19th, 2018 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

12:04pm: Bobby Marks of ESPN.com clarifies (via Twitter) that the date for Okafor’s $100K partial guarantee had been pushed back to September 21, which helps explain the timing of today’s move. As such, New Orleans won’t be on the hook for any 2018/19 money for Okafor.

Marc Spears of The Undefeated adds (via Twitter) that Okafor has previously communicated a desire to continue his NBA career into the ’18/19 season, so we’ll see if he’s able to catch on with another club.

11:42am: The Pelicans have parted ways with veteran center Emeka Okafor, announcing today in a press release that the former second overall pick has been waived. Assuming Okafor goes unclaimed, he’ll clear waivers on Friday, becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Okafor, who was selected after Dwight Howard in the 2004 draft, played nine NBA seasons before health problems derailed his career in 2013. After missing four seasons, the big man returned to the NBA for the Pelicans in 2017/18 and provided solid minutes for the team after DeMarcus Cousins went down with an Achilles tear.

In 26 games (19 starts) for New Orleans last season, Okafor contributed 4.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 13.6 minutes per contest. He was out of the club’s rotation by the postseason, however, appearing briefly in just one playoff game.

Okafor was one of several players on the Pelicans’ roster who didn’t have a fully guaranteed salary — he reportedly had a $100K partial guarantee, so New Orleans will only be on the hook for that amount. With Okafor no longer in the mix, the Pelicans will have an open spot on their 20-man offseason roster, even after the team officially completes its deal with Jarrett Jack.

Okafor’s departure may be good news for a fellow big man who shares a last name with the veteran. Jahlil Okafor is now the only frontcourt player with a non-guaranteed salary on the Pelicans’ roster, and could be in good position to earn one of the open spots on the 15-man regular season squad.

Sasha Vujacic Works Out For Two NBA Teams

September 11th, 2018 at 9:34am CST by Dana Gauruder

Longtime NBA shooting guard Sasha Vujacic worked out for the Pelicans on Monday, Andrew Lopez of the New Orleans Times Picayune tweets. The Thunder are hosting Vujacic today as he attempts to return to the league, according to RealGM.

Vujacic revealed last month that he was seeking another NBA contract. He spent the 2017/18 season with Fiat Torino of the Lega Basket Serie A in Italy, helping the team win its first even Italian Cup by scoring the deciding layup in the final seconds.

The workouts for Vujacic can be chalked up as teams exercising due diligence with training camp around the corner. The Pelicans have eight wing players on their roster already, though they continue to look for another option at shooting guard. Their offer sheet to restricted free agent Tyrone Wallace was matched by the Clippers a week ago.

The Thunder have a number of options at shooting guard, including Andre Roberson, Alex Abrines, Terrance Ferguson and Hamidou Diallo, though Roberson is still recovering from a knee injury and could remain sidelined until December.

A 10-year NBA veteran, the 34-year-old Vujacic last played in the NBA during the 2016/17 season, appearing in 42 games for the Knicks and averaging 3.0 PPG and 1.2 APG in 9.7 MPG. The highlight of Vujacic’s NBA career was winning two championships with the Lakers.

Vujacic, 34, also had brief stints with the Clippers and Nets.

Pelicans’ Anthony Davis Parts Ways With Agent

September 8th, 2018 at 10:08am CST by marksuleymanov

Pelicans star Anthony Davis has parted ways with longtime agent Thad Foucher, according to Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Players are required to file paperwork with the players’ union and wait 15 days before changing agents, ESPN adds.

Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who represents LeBron James, is reportedly a “leading contender” to became Davis’ new representative.

Davis, 25, has two years and $52MM left on his deal with the New Orleans in addition to a $29MM player option for the 2020/21 campaign. In 75 games last season, Davis averaged 28.1 PPG and 11.1 RPG, finishing third in NBA Most Valuable Player voting.

While Davis’ agent change doesn’t necessarily mean anything in and of itself, it may make some Pelicans fans anxious, Scott Kushner of The Advocate tweets. As Kushner notes, then-Hornets guard Chris Paul switched agents in 2010 shortly before requesting a trade.

There have been waves of trade speculation surrounding Davis, who could eventually look to join a bigger-market organization if the Pelicans don’t move any closer toward title contention within the next year or two.

Davis Made Heavy Pitch For Randle

September 7th, 2018 at 5:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Shooting guard Tyrone Wallace can’t be traded by the Clippers without his consent as a result of Los Angeles matching his offer sheet, salary cap expert Albert Nahmad tweets. The restricted free agent signed a two-year, $2.9MM offer sheet with the Pelicans but the Clippers opted to match it on Wednesday despite a roster logjam. The Clippers are prohibited from trading Wallace to the Pelicans for one year, Nahmad adds.
Anthony Davis called Julius Randle three times after Randle hit the free agent market to ensure the former Laker would sign with the Pelicans, William Guillory of The Athletic reports. Randle had his rights renounced by the Lakers after LeBron James agreed to sign with Los Angeles and Randle quickly agreed to a two-year, $18MM deal with New Orleans. Randle had more lucrative deals on the table, Guillory adds, but Randle wants to remain with the franchise even though he has an opt-out next summer.