New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pels Put Together 'Nice Package' In Star Search; Gordon Recalls 'Dysfunctional' Tenure

February 19th, 2017 at 6:59pm CST by Austin Kent

While the pre-All-Star Game wave of speculation that DeMarcus Cousins could be headed to New Orleans appears to have subsided, the Pelicans are serious about acquiring an impact player. According to Sam Amico of Amico Hoops, Pels general manager Dell Demps and company have put together a “really nice package in search of a star.” The scribe goes on to add that his source admires the team’s aggressiveness.

Just 2.5 games out of the Western Conference’s eight-seed, the Pelicans are looking to support 23-year-old superstar Anthony Davis. Earlier this month it appeared as though the club was simply looking to add a center and were willing to dangle a 2018 first-round pick to get it. One name that surfaced as a possible fit was Sixers‘ sophomore Jahlil Okafor. While nothing transpired there, that doesn’t mean the club has stopped looking.

In fact, as we mentioned in the report on the rumored Cousins to New Orleans deal, ESPN’s Justin Verrier has linked the Pelicans to not only Cousins but to Pacers star Paul George as well.

One of the names linked to the Pelicans this month has been Jahlil Okafor, but the Sixers big man doesn’t take it to heart. “I’ve said it before I’ll worry about what I can control and the rumors are going to continue to come out. And as far as I know I’m still a Sixer and I’m happy to be a Sixer,” Okafor tells Amos Morale III of the Times-Picayune.
Before winning the 2017 Three-Point Contest, Rockets guard Eric Gordon spoke about his time in New Orleans, referring to the Pelicans franchise as “dysfunctional”. “My role changed a lot,” he told Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune. “If I would have had the same freedom that I had (in Houston), it would have been a different result. It’s always been a little dysfunctional, not just for me… everybody.”

Anthony Davis Lobbying Jrue Holiday To Re-Sign With Pelicans

February 17th, 2017 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Anthony Davis reiterated this week that he has no plans to leave the Pelicans, and now that he’s settling in for a long-term stay in New Orleans, the former No. 1 overall pick is working on making sure one of his most talented teammates sticks around in a while. As ESPN’s Marc Stein writes, Davis said on Thursday that he intends to be “very involved” in trying to persuade Jrue Holiday to re-sign with the Pelicans this summer.

“I’m doing that right now,” Davis said. “I talk to Jrue all the time. He’ll make his own decisions, but of course we like him here. … We need him to continue to play well and then, at the end of the season, hopefully he decides to re-sign with us.”

Although the Pelicans have had a disappointing season overall, they’ve played much better when Holiday has been in the lineup, going 21-21 with him and 2-13 without him. A .500 record for the season would put New Orleans in playoff position in the Western Conference, but currently the club is vying with a handful of teams for the No. 8 seed.

Unlike Davis, who is under team control through at least the 2019/20 season, Holiday will have the opportunity to hit the open market this July, and could decide to join a new team at that point. While it’s a little early to identify a list of potential suitors for the veteran point guard, the Sixers are believed to be interested in reacquiring him, and Philadelphia should have a good chunk of cap room available in the offseason. Our list of 2017 free agents by position features several intriguing point guards, though marquee players like Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, and Kyle Lowry are considered very unlikely to change teams.

Holiday, 26, is enjoying one of this best seasons as a pro in 2016/17, shooting a career-high 46.8% from the field and 39.3% from three-point range. He’s also averaging 16.3 PPG, 7.5 APG, and 1.6 SPG in 42 games.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/15/17

February 15th, 2017 at 10:15pm CST by Luke Adams

After a quiet Tuesday in terms of D-League moves, we have a few assignments and recalls to pass along for Wednesday. Here’s the latest:

10:15pm:

The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo from Raptors 905, the team announced in a tweet. The third-year forward has played just eight NBA games this season.
The Grizzlies have recalled guard Wade Baldwin, center Deyonta Davis and forward Jarell Martin from their affiliate in Iowa.
The Heat are sending Okaro White to their Sioux Falls affiliate so he will be eligible for the D-League All-Star Game, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.

1:31pm:

The Pelicans have recalled rookie forward Cheick Diallo from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Diallo had been playing for Charlotte’s D-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, since New Orleans doesn’t have an affiliate of its own. He averaged 17. 0 PPG and 11.3 RPG in six games with the Swarm.
Rookies Chinanu Onuaku and Kyle Wiltjer have been recalled from the D-League by the Rockets, according to the team (Twitter link). The duo helped lead the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to a dramatic win on Tuesday, totaling 55 points and 16 rebounds between them.
The Pacers have recalled Rakeem Christmas from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced today in a press release. The D-League’s All-Star break is now underway, which is why Christmas and others are being recalled to their NBA teams today.

Lance Stephenson Injured; Roster Spot In Jeopardy

February 15th, 2017 at 9:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

An injury could cost Lance Stephenson a roster spot for the second time this season, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Stephenson suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain Tuesday, which could sideline him for several weeks. The 10-day contract that he signed with Minnesota on February 8th will expire during the All-Star break, leaving the Timberwolves with a decision of whether they want to tie up a roster spot while he recovers.

“I don’t know, we’ll have to see how he responds,” Wolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau said tonight when asked about Stephenson’s status. “I like the things he did when he was here.”

Stephenson appeared in four games for Minnesota, averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in about 12 minutes per night.

The team didn’t offer any prognosis for Stephenson’s recovery, but Zgoda notes that a Grade 2 sprain usually involves a partial ligament tear, which involves rehab of three to four weeks and sometimes longer. He twisted his left ankle in the second quarter of Tuesday’s game with the Cavaliers and had to be helped off the court.

Stephenson suffered a similar fate in November when he had a severe groin injury while playing for the Pelicans. New Orleans felt it needed a healthy player, so the team waived Stephenson to sign Archie Goodwin. The move drew criticism from around the league, and Stephenson said that although he understood why the Pelicans did it, he thought it showed a lack of faith in him.

Anthony Davis: ‘I Don’t Plan On Leaving’ Pelicans

February 15th, 2017 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been another disappointing season so far for the Pelicans, who remain in the hunt for the No. 8 seed in the West but are currently just 22-34, 12th in the conference. Still, despite the fact that the team appears headed for its fourth losing season in five years since drafting Anthony Davis, the former No. 1 pick told reporters on Tuesday that he has no desire to leave New Orleans.

“I don’t plan on leaving, so make sure you write that down,” Davis said when asked about trade speculation, per Jeff Duncan of The New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Davis’ stance, which he has expressed in the past, doesn’t come as a real shock. He’s in the first year of a long-term contract, which means he won’t be eligible for free agency until at least 2020, and the Pelicans have never expressed any desire to move him. If a star player wants a change of scenery, he could put pressure on his team by privately or publicly expressing his dissatisfaction, but Davis hasn’t done that. He suggested on Tuesday’s conference call that he remains confident in New Orleans’ ability to contend.

“We’ve got to find a way to keep fighting,” Davis said. “We have a team that is able to compete for the playoffs. We showed that a couple of times this year (in January wins against the Cavaliers and Spurs). We feel we are just as good as any other team in this league. We just need to find a way to stay a little more healthy and be a little more consistent.”

Even though they’re currently 12 games below .500, the Pelicans appear to be prepared to buy, rather than sell, at next week’s trade deadline. Recent reports have indicated that they’re eyeing players like Jahlil Okafor and Brook Lopez as they dangle their 2018 first-round pick in search of a center to complement Davis in the frontcourt. For his part, Davis says he’s not lobbying the team to make a move.

“That’s up to the front office,” Davis said. “Whatever the front office tries to do, they come to me and ask me my opinion. But right now I’m just trying to help the team win and do my job.”

Knicks, Lakers Top Forbes’ NBA Franchise Valuations

February 15th, 2017 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have been one of the NBA’s most dysfunctional teams this season. On the court, the team has gone just 23-33, with $72MM man Joakim Noah failing to make a significant impact, and Jeff Hornacek and Phil Jackson not always on the same page when it came to the use of the triangle. Off the court, things have been even worse, with Jackson criticizing star forward Carmelo Anthony, and owner James Dolan at odds with former Knicks star Charles Oakley.

On the west coast, the Lakers haven’t been much better, racking up a 19-38 record, good for the No. 14 seed in the West. The team hasn’t made as many off-court headlines, but the structure of the front office is currently up in the air, with new advisor Magic Johnson publicly declaring that he wants to be the one calling the shots on roster decisions.

Despite the problems in New York and Los Angeles, the Knicks and Lakers remain the NBA’s two most valuable franchises, according to a report from Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes. The Knicks and Lakers are the only teams valued at more than $3 billion by Forbes.

Team valuations are up around the league, with the Warriors leading the way among this year’s increases — according to Forbes, the Dubs are 37% more valuable that they were at this time in 2016. In total, 18 teams have a valuation exceeding $1 billion, which is up from 13 teams last year and just three teams in 2015. The average NBA franchise is now worth $1.36 billion, according to the report.

Here’s the full list of NBA franchise valuations, per Forbes:

New York Knicks: $3.3 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $3 billion
Golden State Warriors: $2.6 billion
Chicago Bulls: $2.5 billion
Boston Celtics: $2.2 billion
Los Angeles Clippers; $2 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $1.8 billion
Houston Rockets: $1.65 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $1.45 billion
Miami Heat: $1.35 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $1.2 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $1.175 billion
Toronto Raptors: $1.125 billion
Phoenix Suns: $1.1 billion
Sacramento Kings: $1.075 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $1.05 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.025 billion
Washington Wizards: $1 billion
Orlando Magic: $920MM
Utah Jazz: $910MM
Detroit Pistons: $900MM
Denver Nuggets: $890MM
Atlanta Hawks: $885MM
Indiana Pacers: $880MM
Philadelphia 76ers: $800MM
Memphis Grizzlies: $790MM
Milwaukee Bucks: $785MM
Charlotte Hornets: $780MM
Minnesota Timberwolves: $770MM
New Orleans Pelicans: $750MM

For comparison’s sake, Forbes’ 2016 valuations can be found right here.

Jahlil Okafor Rejoins Sixers

February 15th, 2017 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

With trade rumors swirling, the Sixers held Jahlil Okafor out of action on Saturday night, and didn’t bring him on their trip to Charlotte for Monday’s game. However, Okafor has rejoined the Sixers in Boston and will play in tonight’s game against the Celtics, as Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com writes. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), Nerlens Noel will remain in the starting lineup, with Okafor coming off the bench.

When Okafor was initially kept out of action over the weekend, it appeared that the Sixers were moving toward finalizing a trade involving the former No. 3 overall pick. Indeed, a source tells Camerato that the team had been close to a deal involving Okafor. Now that the club is ready to re-insert him into the lineup, it seems no trade is imminent.

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, people around the NBA are skeptical that the Sixers were ever all that close to moving Okafor. O’Connor’s sources speculate that Okafor’s absence was a failed attempt to “stir interest” and “flush out” teams’ best offers.

The Pelicans, Bulls, Nuggets, and Trail Blazers have been linked to Okafor in recent reports, but O’Connor suggests Denver and Portland don’t appear to be serious suitors, and he’s not sure Chicago is either. New Orleans seemed to be gaining momentum on a possible Okafor deal earlier this month, but that was nine days ago, and nothing has come of it yet.

The Sixers’ game tonight is the team’s last one before February 24, a day after the trade deadline, so it’s possible that it will be Okafor’s last contest with the franchise. We’ll have to wait to see if the offers for Okafor improve by next Thursday, or if Philadelphia eventually settles for an offer currently on the table.

Pistons Rumors: Drummond, Jackson, Johnson

February 15th, 2017 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have “quietly explored” the trade market for Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, two of their roster’s centerpieces, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com reports in his latest piece, which is a deep dive into the situation in Detroit. According to Lowe, the Pistons came away disappointed with what teams might be willing to offer for Drummond or Jackson, reducing the likelihood of either player being moved in the next eight days.

Still, while a Drummond trade remains an “extreme long shot,” a deal involving Jackson isn’t entirely off the table. Lowe suggests the Timberwolves, Magic, and Pelicans are among the potential suitors for the veteran point guard, if Detroit is willing to settle for a modest return. Per Lowe, Jackson’s value has “cratered,” and a player like Ricky Rubio is one of the few solid starters the Pistons could get in any trade package. Lottery teams seeking a long-term solution at point guard are unwilling to move their first-round picks for Jackson, and Detroit isn’t ready to simply dump him for a collection of expiring contracts.

In his attempt to find a potential trade partner for a Jackson deal, Lowe identifies the Magic and Nuggets, pointing to players like Elfrid Payton and Emmanuel Mudiay as possible trade pieces. However, while Mudiay is believed to be available, Denver doesn’t appear to have interest in Jackson. Lowe notes that Orlando is an “intriguing” possibility, since GM Rob Hennigan was in Oklahoma City’s front office when the team drafted Jackson.

Here’s more from Lowe on Jackson, along with a few other intriguing Pistons-related tidbits:

The Pelicans have kicked the tires on Jackson, but never engaged in serious talks, league sources tell Lowe.
According to Lowe, several Pistons players criticized Jackson during a December players-only meeting for his apparent lack of effort on defense. Drummond tells Lowe that the criticism “wasn’t cool,” since Jackson was coming off an injury and wasn’t yet 100%. However, both Drummond and Stan Van Gundy acknowledge that the team has struggled to adjust to Jackson’s presence on the court this year after finding a groove early in the season with Ish Smith handling the point.
According to Lowe, a fear that top free agents won’t come to Detroit has pushed the Pistons to acquire solid players on good contracts when they become available. Those players aren’t always a fit with Drummond and Van Gundy, which has contributed to some of the team’s roster issues.
Multiple teams, including the Spurs, made an effort to nab Stanley Johnson in a trade after Van Gundy publicly called out the second-year forward earlier in the season. Although the Pistons rebuffed those efforts, the team has been frustrated by Devin Booker‘s development in comparison to Johnson’s, since the draft room was “almost deadlocked” between those two players in 2015, says Lowe.
The Pistons are unlikely to make a major move until closer to the draft, since they want to make the playoffs and are reluctant to do anything that will adversely impact their odds of earning a postseason spot, says Lowe. The ESPN analyst notes that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s pending restricted free agency will be an interesting case to follow this offseason, since the Pistons may have to shed a salary – perhaps Tobias Harris‘ or Boban Marjanovic‘s – if they need to match a max offer sheet for Caldwell-Pope.

Davis And Holiday Only Pelicans Off-Limits In Trade Talks

February 14th, 2017 at 10:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Anthony Davis isn’t going anywhere and Jrue Holiday is unlikely to be traded, but anyone else on the Pelicans‘ roster is on the table in trade talks, according to Kennedy.

[SOURCE LINK]

Details On Pelicans’ Brook Lopez Trade Talks

February 13th, 2017 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Reports last week indicated that the Pelicans were scouring the market for a center, dangling their 2018 first-round pick in trade talks. At the time, Brook Lopez was identified as one potential target for New Orleans, and now, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders has some specific details on the sort of package the Pelicans and Nets were discussing.

According to Scotto, the two teams have talked about a trade that would send Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, Tim Frazier, and a 2018 protected first-round pick to Brooklyn in exchange for Lopez.

Such a trade package would likely pique the Nets’ interest, since it includes two young guards on reasonable deals, a sizable expiring contract (Evans’), and a future first-round pick to replace the Nets’ own 2018 selection.

Still, the Nets have long been said to be seeking multiple first-round picks in any Lopez deal, and ESPN’s Marc Stein reported on Sunday that the team’s asking price hadn’t changed. The Pelicans’ proposal includes just one first-rounder, and depending on how heavily it’s protected, it’s possible it wouldn’t be a lottery selection.

While the Nets are willing to discuss deals involving Lopez, multiple reports have downplayed the team’s interest in making a deal during the season. The veteran center remains under contract through 2017/18, so Brooklyn appears willing to revisit trade discussions during the offseason if the team doesn’t receive an offer it likes this month.

The Pelicans, meanwhile, are believed to be engaged in talks with the Sixers involving Jahlil Okafor. New Orleans probably has a few more irons in the fire around the NBA as well, as the team looks for a big man to pair with Anthony Davis in the frontcourt.