New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Sign Jordan Crawford To 10-Day Deal

March 6th, 2017 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

3:03pm CST: The Pelicans have made their deal official, announcing they’ve signed Jordan Crawford to a 10-day contract (Twitter link). According to a team press release, Crawford will wear #4, and is available for tonight’s game against the Jazz.

12:48pm CST: The Pelicans have a newly-opened spot on their roster, and they have a specific player in mind to fill it. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter), New Orleans is eyeing D-League guard Jordan Crawford as a candidate for a 10-day contract.

While Stein’s report suggests that an agreement hasn’t necessarily been finalized yet, the Pelicans are in action tonight, with a game in Utah. If New Orleans wants Crawford to play in that game, the team will have to move quickly to officially get something done. Otherwise, Crawford could perhaps make his Pelicans debut at home on Wednesday. A deal is expected to be made official “early” this week, per Stein (Twitter link).

A former first-round pick, Crawford has appeared in 257 total NBA games for the Wizards, Celtics, Warriors, and Hawks, but hasn’t played in a regular season contest since the 2013/14 season. The 28-year-old guard has been a top scoring threat for the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s D-League affiliate, this season, averaging 23.5 PPG with a .473/.355/.870 shooting line.

In the wake of the DeMarcus Cousins trade, which sent three guards to Sacramento, the Pelicans replenished their backcourt by signing Hollis Thompson, Jarrett Jack, and Reggie Williams to 10-day contracts. Thompson has since been signed to a second 10-day deal, but Jack suffered a meniscus tear and won’t be re-signed, opening up a spot for another guard. Williams’ 10-day deal expires after tonight’s game, so it remains to be seen whether he’ll stick with the franchise.

Pelicans Sign Hollis Thompson To Second 10-Day Contract

March 5th, 2017 at 2:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

2:48pm CST: The Pelicans officially announced the signing via Twitter (link).

12:07pm CST: The Pelicans are expected to give shooting guard Hollis Thompson a second 10-day contract when his first deal expires today, according to John Reid of The Times-Picayune.

Thompson is in the starting lineup for tonight’s game with the Lakers, so it’s reasonable to think that New Orleans plans to keep him around for a while. The Pelicans are short on wing players after shipping Tyreke Evans, Buddy Hield and Langston Galloway to the Kings in the DeMarcus Cousins trade.

They signed Thompson on February 23rd to help fill the void. He has appeared in five games since then, starting four, with averages of 4.6 points and 3.0 assists.

”I think he’s solid and we like our rotation with E’Twaun Moore coming off the bench because we have the ability to, if a guy got in quick foul trouble or something like that,” said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry. ”We stuck Hollis out there to see if he would be OK. I think he’s been a pleasant surprise, really … moreso on the defense end, just being able to get to the right spot and things like that.”

Thompson started the season with the Sixers and played 31 games, but was released in early January before his salary became fully guaranteed. When his second 10-day contract with New Orleans expires, the Pelicans will have to either waive him or sign him for the remainder of the season.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/5/17

March 5th, 2017 at 1:48pm CST by Milo Taibi

Here are the D-League transactions for Sunday:

The Mavericks recalled A.J. Hammons and Nicolas Brussino from the Texas Legends, the team announced in a press release. Brussino recorded a double-double last night for the Legends, whereas Hammons recorded 11 rebounds over 23 minutes.
The Kings recalled Georgios Papagiannis from the Reno Bighorns, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports (Twitter link). Papagiannis has appeared in six NBA games this season.
The Spurs assigned Davis Bertans and Dejounte Murray to the Austin Spurs, the team announced on its official website. Bertans and Murray will each be available for this afternoon’s match-up with the Salt Lake City Stars.
The Pelicans recalled Cheick Diallo from the Greensboro Swarm, the team announced in a press release.

Pelicans Running Out Of Time For Playoffs

March 5th, 2017 at 12:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Many thought the Pelicans were a sure thing to grab the final playoff spot after acquiring DeMarcus Cousins, but they’re running out of time to make a postseason push, notes Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. New Orleans was two and a half games behind Denver for the eighth spot in the West when it traded for Cousins on February 25th. Since then, the Pelicans are 1-4, with the only victory coming in a game where Cousins was suspended. They have fallen to 24-38, which puts them in 13th place, four games in back of the Nuggets. “It’s still a work in progress,” Cousins said after Friday’s loss to the Spurs.

Jarrett Jack To Miss 4-To-6 Weeks With Meniscus Tear

March 3rd, 2017 at 7:23pm CST by Milo Taibi

Jarrett Jack is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with a right lateral meniscus tear, the Pelicans announced in a press release. Jack, who signed a 10-day contract on February 24, appeared in two games with New Orleans, scoring six total points with five assists.

While the team hasn’t yet announced plans for Jack, GM Dell Demps has shown a propensity to waive injured players (Omri Casspi, Lance Stephenson) rather than use a short-handed roster. Jack was initially diagnosed with a torn right ACL on January 3, 2016, and has endured a difficult recovery ever since. From that point, Jack has been waived by the Nets, signed (and subsequently waived) by the Hawks, and signed with New Orleans.

Following the diagnosis, Jack tweeted “Would say frustrated but that word doesn’t even come close to doing my mood justice.” (Twitter link)

Justin Holiday “Dreams” Of Playing With Brother

March 3rd, 2017 at 4:20pm CST by Milo Taibi

Justin Holiday told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he has long wanted to play alongside his brother, Jrue.

“If we can play together, that would be a dream come true and we’d be successful doing it,’’ Justin said. “We both want to win and both know each other’s game in and out. We both know what we’re going to get from each other when we play together. It just makes sense.”

Both Justin and Jrue Holiday are unrestricted free agents-to-be. Justin, who made $1,015,696 in 2016/17 with the Knicks, has averaged 7.5 points in a career-high 61 games. Jrue is slated for a considerably higher payday. According to Bobby Marks of The Vertical, Jrue should command $16MM or $17MM per year on the open market.

Berman notes that the Pelicans “are trying to build something special” following the DeMarcus Cousins trade, and could overpay for Jrue in free agency. Justin didn’t tip his hand about his plans for free agency- “The best thing for me now is not to stress too much about [free agency]”- though Berman noted the two are each clients of Glushon Sports Management.

“I know when we play together, good things happen because we know each other’s game so well,” Justin said. “We do play hard on both ends of the floor. When you have that at both positions, it’s going to help.”

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/3/17

March 3rd, 2017 at 2:06pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the D-League transactions for Friday:

The Pelicans have assigned forward Cheick Diallo to the D-League, the team reports in a press release on its website. Diallo has averaged 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 18 contests with the Greensboro Swarm.
The Pistons have recalled rookies Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije from their D-League affiliate, Rod Beard of the Detroit News. Ellenson and Gbinije have seen action in 14 and nine games for the Pistons respectively.
The Wizards have assigned center Chris McCullough to the D-League, writes Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic. McCullough has averaged 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in 31 D-League contests this season. Having previously played for the Long Island Nets, McCullough is expected to join the Northern Arizona Suns on this assignment, says Hughes.

Checking In On 2017’s 10-Day Contracts

March 2nd, 2017 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

So far this season, 26 players have signed at least one 10-day contract with an NBA team. Some players who have received 10-day deals, such as David Nwaba, had never appeared in a regular season game before getting their shot on a short-term contract. Others, like Toney Douglas, are proven veterans who have used 10-day contracts to show that they still have something to offer an NBA club.

Our 10-day tracker provides several interesting details about the short-term contracts signed by NBA players so far this year, so let’s dive in and take a closer look…

Players who have turned 10-day contracts into full-season deals:

Quincy Acy (Nets)
Joel Anthony (Spurs)
Toney Douglas (Grizzlies)
Yogi Ferrell (Mavericks)
Ronnie Price (Suns)
Okaro White (Heat)

Of the players on the list above, who turned 10-day auditions into full-season commitments, Ferrell was the only player who signed just one 10-day contract before inking a rest-of-season deal. The others signed two 10-day contracts before being locked up for the season.

Of course, in Ferrell’s case, the Mavs certainly must have been sold on his potential before his first 10-day pact expired — he scored in the double digits in all but one game during that stretch, including a 32-point outburst in Portland.

Chasson Randle (Sixers) and Lamar Patterson (Hawks) also earned full-season contracts from their teams after a pair of 10-day deals, but have since been waived. Meanwhile, Derrick Williams (Cavaliers) is on track to remain with Cleveland for the rest of the season once his second 10-day contract expires.

Players who have signed 10-day contracts with more than one team:

Johnny O’Bryant (two with Nuggets, one with Hornets)
Briante Weber (two with Warriors, one with Hornets)

Interestingly, both players that have signed 10-day contracts with two separate teams are currently with the Hornets. That may just be a coincidence, but it’s also very possible that the Hornets scouted O’Bryant and Weber during their 20-day stints in Denver and Golden State respectively, and liked what they saw enough to roll the dice on the duo themselves.

Although players can only sign up to two 10-day deals with the same team, there’s no limit to the number of teams they can join. O’Bryant and Weber could theoretically sign 10-day contracts with a couple more clubs before season’s end.

Teams that have used 10-day contracts the most this season:

Charlotte Hornets (4 players, 6 contracts)
Dallas Mavericks (4 players, 5 contracts)
New Orleans Pelicans (3 players, 3 contracts)

The Hornets have auditioned four players on short-term deals and have yet to find a keeper — none of their 10-day signings have turned into full-season contracts. The Mavericks found a guy they liked in Ferrell and continue to look at other young players. As for the Pelicans, they didn’t sign any 10-day deals until after the DeMarcus Cousins trade — now they’re carrying three at once as they attempt to identify guards that can help the club make a push for a playoff spot.

Players currently on 10-day contracts:

Derrick Williams (Cavaliers): Expires at end of day on March 3.
Hollis Thompson (Pelicans): Expires at end of day on March 4.
Johnny O’Bryant (Hornets): Expires at end of day on March 5.
Jarrett Jack (Pelicans): Expires at end of day on March 5.
Reggie Williams (Pelicans): Expires at end of day on March 6.
Axel Toupane (Bucks): Expires at end of day on March 6.
Quinn Cook (Mavericks): Expires at end of day on March 7.
Ben Bentil (Mavericks): Expires at end of day on March 7.
Briante Weber (Hornets): Expires at end of day on March 8.
David Nwaba (Lakers): Expires at end of day on March 9.

Williams, who is on his second 10-day contract, will be re-signed for the rest of the season, but the other players on this list are on their first 10-day deals of the season. So if they’re re-signed by their current teams, they’ll likely get a second 10-day deal before receiving a full-season commitment.

DeMarcus Cousins Suspended One Game By NBA

February 28th, 2017 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Less than a week after making his debut for the Pelicans, DeMarcus Cousins is facing his first suspension as a member of the team. The NBA announced today in a press release that, after receiving his 18th technical foul of the season on Sunday, Cousins has been suspended for one game without pay.

NBA rules call for an automatic one-game suspension after a player’s 16th technical foul of the season, plus additional one-game bans for every two technical fouls after that. Cousins was initially suspended for one game earlier this month as a member of the Kings after picking up his 16th technical of the 2016/17 campaign. He has since been hit with two more techs.

Cousins will miss the Pelicans’ next game on Wednesday night against the Pistons. He’ll also lose 1/110th of his salary for the season, the usual amount for a single-game suspension. Based on his salary of nearly $17MM, that works out to about $154K.

Knicks To Target Jrue Holiday In Free Agency?

February 28th, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

Some members of the Knicks organization view Jrue Holiday as a free agent target for the club this summer, league sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN.com. As Begley points out, team president Phil Jackson displayed interest in trading for Holiday earlier in his tenure in New York, so it makes sense that the veteran point guard would be on the Knicks’ radar in the offseason.

After missing the start of the season due to a personal matter, Holiday has appeared in 45 games for the Pelicans in 2016/17, averaging 15.9 PPG and 7.4 APG to go along with a .457/.374/.705 shooting line. The 26-year-old is in the final year of his current contract, putting him in line to hit the open market this summer.

Although there are a number of big-name free agent point guards set to hit the market in July, many of those players – such as Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, and Kyle Lowry – are viewed as highly likely to re-sign with their current teams. That could leave a player like Holiday as one of the top options left on the board, though New Orleans is expected to make a strong effort to lock him up. Holiday acknowledged last week that the Pelicans view him as a part of their future along with Anthony Davis and newly-acquired DeMarcus Cousins.

The Knicks have a free-agent-to-be point guard of their own on the roster, with Derrick Rose on an expiring deal. Earlier in the season, it appeared that there might be mutual interest between Rose and the Knicks in a contract extension, but the odds of Rose remaining in New York long-term seem to have declined since then.

Here are a few more Knicks notes:

On Monday, head coach Jeff Hornacek “firmly denied” that the Knicks had moved into tank mode, as Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “Who says we’re trying to lose?” Hornacek said. “As a team we’re not thinking about losing. We’re still trying to win. Brandon [Jennings] being waived doesn’t mean [not] trying to win games. We feel Ron Baker can fill right in. It’s a different dynamic. He can control things and provide defense.”
According to Berman, the Knicks recognized that Jennings was “unhappy” with his role in New York and that he would have been upset if his playing time had been reduced down the stretch. A source tells Berman that the Knicks felt the veteran guard was “no longer a fit” with the team, leading to his release. “Brandon wanted to play more minutes here,” Hornacek said. “With Derrick here, it made it awfully tough.”
As Berman explains, even if the Knicks’ interest in re-signing Rose this summer is limited, the team may hang onto him until season’s end to keep his cap hold on the books, in case it can help accommodate a sign-and-trade.