New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Young, Murray, Wizards, Bridges, Love

April 22nd, 2023 at 6:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks still face long odds in their first-round series with the Celtics, but they have to be encouraged by the way Trae Young and Dejounte Murray played together Friday night, writes Jeff Schultz of The Athletic. Atlanta avoided a 3-0 deficit as the backcourt combination turned in one of its best games since Murray was acquired last summer. They combined for 57 points in the Game 3 victory, with 38 of those coming in the second half.

“At one point, I was just like, I should just keep quiet and let them do it,” coach Quin Snyder said. “They had some isolation situations where they created for themselves and for other guys, and a lot of that was them just figuring it out. People feed off that.”

Schultz notes that there have been questions about whether they can be effective together ever since the Hawks sent three first-round picks and other assets to the Spurs in exchange for Murray. Former general manager and team president Travis Schlenk reportedly didn’t support the deal, and the results hadn’t been positive during a 41-41 season.

A recent report indicated Atlanta will consider trading Young this summer, but Schultz states that Friday’s performance may show that he and Murray can find a way to make things work.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards may dream about landing a big name like Raptors president Masai Ujiri or Warriors general manager Bob Myers to replace fired GM Tommy Sheppard, but they’re better off pursuing someone who has succeeded in building a team in a mid-level market, contends Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. She names Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon, Knicks GM Scott Perry, Bucks assistant GM Milt Newton and Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly as potential targets.
The NBA was too lenient with former Hornets forward Miles Bridges when it agreed to reduce his 30-game suspension to 10 games for next season, argues David Aldridge of The Athletic. Aldridge disagrees with the league’s reasoning that Bridges would have served 20 games of that suspension if he had signed with a team this year and notes that the CBA gives commissioner Adam Silver the power to invoke a harsher penalty under its “misconduct” section.
Kevin Love is back in the Heat‘s starting lineup for tonight’s Game 3 against the Bucks, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Chiang observes that the new starting five of Love, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo has only played together for two minutes in the series and 13 minutes during the regular season.

Latest On Pistons’ Head Coaching Search

April 21st, 2023 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons began conducting interviews for their open head coaching position earlier this week, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, who reports that a trio of candidates have emerged as potential frontrunners in the early stages of the process.

Former Overtime Elite head coach Kevin Ollie, Bucks assistant Charles Lee, and Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins are the top three candidates for Detroit’s coaching vacancy so far, says Edwards.

The Pistons had Ollie and Lee high on their list entering the process, according to Edwards, and have now interviewed both of them. Marc Stein identified the duo earlier this week as possible favorites of general manager Troy Weaver, though he noted that vice chairman Arn Tellem would also have “considerable influence” in the search.

As for Collins, the Pistons were “very interested” in the veteran assistant when they began their search, says Edwards. League and team sources tell The Athletic that Collins’ interview with the club was “stellar.”

None of Detroit’s early frontrunners have previously served as NBA head coaches, though Collins and Ollie played in the league.

Lee, who competed in international leagues as a player, has been a longtime assistant under Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee and Atlanta, while Collins was on Steve Kerr‘s staff for seven years in Golden State before moving to New Orleans under Willie Green in 2021. Ollie lacks any sort of NBA coaching experience, but coached at UConn for eight seasons (six as head coach) and led the Overtime Elite program for two years.

The Pistons have no definitive timetable to make a hire and will take their time to evaluate candidates, according to Edwards, who says that more contenders could emerge over the course of the search.

Wizards Fire GM Tommy Sheppard

April 19th, 2023 at 5:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tommy Sheppard has been dismissed as general manager and president of the Wizards, the team announced in a press release. The move comes after another disappointing season for Washington, which compiled a 35-47 record and failed to qualify for the play-in tournament.

Sheppard, 53, had been with the organization since 2003, starting as vice president of basketball operations. He had served as GM since 2019 when he was promoted to replace Ernie Grunfeld. He received an extension and a promotion to president of basketball operations after the club got off to a strong start in 2021/22.

The Wizards never won more than 35 games in a season under Sheppard’s tenure and they reached the playoffs just once, advancing through the play-in tournament in 2021 before losing to the Sixers in the first round.

“Failure to make the playoffs the last two seasons was very disappointing to our organization and our fans,” owner Ted Leonsis said in a statement explaining the move (Twitter link from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski).

Sheppard’s departure means someone else will handle key financial decisions in what should be an important summer for Washington. Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis are both expected to turn down their player options for next season and test free agency, although Porzingis is involved in extension talks with the team.

The new GM will also try to improve on Sheppard’s performance in the draft, as Washington holds the No. 8 spot heading into next month’s lottery.

Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon and Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly are names to watch as the Wizards launch their search for Sheppard’s replacement, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

The front office shakeup won’t affect Wes Unseld Jr., who just completed his second season as head coach, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who hears from sources that Leonsis remains a strong supporter of Unseld.

Griffin: Pelicans Envision Offseason Tweaks, Not “Huge” Moves

April 18th, 2023 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

It was a tale of two seasons in New Orleans, where the Pelicans got off to a 23-12 start buoyed by an All-Star performance from Zion Williamson, then played sub-.500 ball the rest of the way following Williamson’s hamstring injury and lost in the first round of the play-in tournament.

Despite falling short of their preseason expectations, the Pelicans don’t believe any major roster changes will be necessary this offseason, according to executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin.

“I know we feel like the bones of this franchise are really sound,” Griffin said, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “What we do to get to the next level and make this exactly what we need to be, I can’t tell you right now.

“Have we seen enough to know unequivocally that it worked when we were No. 1 in the West? No. But we’ve seen enough to know we’re close. We’re in and around it. I think it’s tweaks more than it’s huge moves. But I also know we’re open-minded if something significant has to happen.”

The Pelicans will have some free agency decisions to make during the offseason, with Josh Richardson (unrestricted) and Jaxson Hayes (restricted) among the players on track to reach the open market. But New Orleans’ core players are all locked up for the foreseeable future — Brandon Ingram through 2025, CJ McCollum through 2026, and Williamson through 2028 – and the team won’t have cap room this summer.

The front office could turn to the trade market if it decides to make more than minor tweaks to the roster. The Pelicans control all of their future first-round picks, including this year’s lottery selection, as well as the Lakers’ unprotected 2024 first-rounder and the Bucks’ unprotected 2027 pick.

While a blockbuster deal using those picks may not be in the cards this offseason, Griffin believes those assets put the team in a “strong position” to continue fortifying its roster going forward, writes Clark.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” Griffin said. “We might not be moving as quickly as you would like it to happen. But as long as we grow from what we learn, nothing is fatal. This only gets bad if you try to go too far too fast and put yourself in a position you can’t get out financially. We are really, really well positioned to be sustainable in the future with an incredibly talented core of young players that care about one another and care about winning in this city. They want to be here and want to win here.”

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New Orleans Pelicans

Pistons Get Permission To Interview Brian Keefe, Jarron Collins

April 17th, 2023 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons have received permission to interview Nets assistant Brian Keefe in their head coaching search, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Wojnarowski mentioned Keefe as a potential candidate for the job last week.

Keefe has been with five NBA teams since joining the Spurs as a video coordinator in 2006. He worked with Detroit general manager Troy Weaver in Oklahoma City and has spent the last two seasons with Brooklyn.

Detroit was also granted permission by the Pelicans to interview assistant Jarron Collins, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Collins played 11 NBA seasons with the Jazz, Suns, Clippers and Trail Blazers and won three NBA titles as a member of the Warriors’ coaching staff. He came to New Orleans when head coach Willie Green was hired in 2021.

Interviews are expected to begin this week, Charania adds.

The Pistons are casting a wide net in their effort to replace Dwane Casey, who announced plans to transition to the front office after the regular season ended. They have already set up an interview with Kevin Ollie and have received permission to talk with Bucks assistant Charles Lee.

Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and Heat assistant Chris Quinn are also expected to be candidates for the job, and former Celtics coach Ime Udoka and Bulls assistant Josh Longstaff have been mentioned as well.

Pelicans Notes: McCollum, Zion, Daniels, Pannone

April 15th, 2023 at 8:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

During an appearance on “Stephen A.’s World” Saturday afternoon (video link), CJ McCollum cited public “misconceptions” over how Zion Williamson is viewed by his teammates and Pelicans management. McCollum said the entire organization remains supportive of Williamson and wants him to find a way to stay healthy so he can get the most out of his talents.

Injuries limited Williamson to 29 games this season, marking the third time in four years that he has failed to reach 30. He played at an All-Star level when he was available, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 60.8% from the field, but a hamstring injury he suffered in early January kept him sidelined for the rest of the season.

“The moral of the story is we all want him out there on the court,” McCollum said. “We all understand the importance of the gravity he has, we understand the importance of the greatness that he possesses — and me personally, I want him to maximize that. I want him to maximize his talent, I want him to maximize his window, our window as a team, our window as an organization.”

Executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin addressed the same topic on Friday, telling reporters, including Andrew Lopez of ESPN, that the team will work to increase Williamson’s availability, but he has a role to play as well.

I think a big part is on him,” Griffin said. “I think there is a lot he can do better. And he would, I think, tell you that. I think we need to do a better job examining the whole situation top to bottom a little bit better. I think putting him in the best position to succeed is important. And I think his participation is a big part of that.”

There’s more from New Orleans:

McCollum, who will have surgery on his right thumb next week, wrote in his Andscape diary that “this was the most difficult season I’ve been a part of physically and mentally.” He cites the constant injuries that surrounded the team and “the roller coaster of emotions” that involved the fast start, followed by a 10-game losing streak and then rebounding to qualify for the play-in tournament.
Dyson Daniels plans to spend a lot of the offseason in New Orleans to work on his game, tweets William Guillory of The Athletic. The Australian rookie also expects to be part of the Pelicans’ Summer League team.
Assistant coach Ryan Pannone will join Nate Oats’ staff at the University of Alabama, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Pannone, a former G League coach, spent one year on New Orleans’ staff under Willie Green.

Pelicans Notes: Williamson, McCollum, Temple, Liddell

April 14th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

If the Pelicans had advanced beyond the play-in, Zion Williamson might have had a chance to return from his hamstring injury this spring, but that was far from a lock. Executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin confirmed on Friday that Williamson hadn’t even begun participating in full-court 3-on-3 scrimmages, let alone 5-on-5 action (Twitter link via Andrew Lopez of ESPN).

Elsewhere on the Williamson front, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (YouTube link) noted during a TV appearance that Zion’s maximum-salary extension, which will go into effect in 2023/24, features several benchmarks related to the forward’s weight, conditioning, and games played totals.

Portions of Williamson’s salary will become non-guaranteed if he doesn’t meet those thresholds, though the Pelicans would only be able to realize those savings by waiving him.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Sources tell William Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link) that CJ McCollum, who will undergo surgery on his injured thumb, was also dealing with a torn labrum in his shoulder for the final seven games of the regular season.
The Pelicans’ “big three” of Williamson, McCollum, and Brandon Ingram played just 10 games together this season, Guillory observes in a story for The Athletic. “If you would’ve told me we’d only play 10 games together this season, and we still won 42 games, I would’ve said that’s crazy,” McCollum said. “For us to be successful in the future – in the long-term – we’ve got to be able to play together. We need our best players on the court. We need to be able to play extended minutes together, especially in meaningful games, and showcase what we offer.”
Veteran wing Garrett Temple will turn 37 years old next month, but he hasn’t considered retiring and would like to remain in New Orleans in 2023/24, tweets Guillory. Although Temple is under contract for next season, his $5.4MM salary is non-guaranteed and I don’t expect the Pelicans to keep him at that price — they could be more open to a minimum-salary deal.
E.J. Liddell, a 2022 second-rounder who suffered a torn ACL last July at the Las Vegas Summer League, has progressed to playing 1-on-1 and is hoping to be able to play in this year’s Summer League, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Liddell’s two-way deal with New Orleans covers two seasons, so he’s under contract for 2023/24 and won’t need to be re-signed.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype previews the decisions facing the Pelicans this offseason, pointing out that Jaxson Hayes and Josh Richardson will be free agents, while Herb Jones will be among the players eligible for contract extensions.

McCollum To Undergo Thumb Surgery Next Week

April 13th, 2023 at 3:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pelicans guard CJ McCollum will undergo right thumb surgery next week, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. McCollum, who previously revealed the injury and the likelihood of surgery, said it’s been an issue for several months. McCollum also indicated his shoulder has bothered him in recent games and he’ll have it evaluated, Will Guillory of The Athletic adds in another tweet.

Larry Nance Jr. To Miss Play-In Game

April 12th, 2023 at 8:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr. won’t be available for Wednesday’s play-in game against the Thunder due to left ankle soreness, the team announced (via Twitter).

Coach Willie Green told reporters prior to the game that Nance was going to test his ankle in warmups to see how it responded, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

Nance was added to the injury report on Tuesday, with New Orleans listing him as questionable. He was able to play 17 minutes in Sunday’s regular season finale.

Nance was one of the Pelicans’ most reliable bench players this season, averaging 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 65 games. His absence could lead to more minutes for fourth-year center Jaxson Hayes.

If New Orleans wins tonight, Nance will have two more days to recover before the next play-in contest Friday at Minnesota. Another victory would put the team in a playoff series against the Nuggets that would begin Sunday night.

The Pelicans are already short-handed without Jose Alvarado, who is out with a right tibial stress reaction, and Zion Williamson, who hasn’t played since early January due to a strained right hamstring.

Earlier on Wednesday, Nance responded to rumors that the organization is upset with Williamson over his prolonged absence.

“No one in our locker room is looking at Z any type of way,” Nance tweeted. “We’re with him every step of his rehab, and support his process, physically AND mentally! Don’t listen to people saying things just to get views!!”

Poll: Wednesday’s NBA Play-In Games

April 12th, 2023 at 7:38am CST by Luke Adams

In each of the first two years after the NBA introduced the play-in tournament in its current form in 2021, the No. 7 seeds defeated the No. 8 seeds — the Lakers and Celtics won at home in 2021, and the Timberwolves and Nets followed suit in 2022.

So history was made on Tuesday night, when the Heat became the first No. 7 seed to lose a play-in game, falling at home to the No. 8 Hawks. As a result, Atlanta will face the second-seeded Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, while Miami will get another chance to secure a playoff berth at home on Friday.

In Tuesday’s late game, the Lakers nearly followed Miami’s lead, falling behind by double digits to Minnesota. But Los Angeles’ defense keyed a comeback and the Lakers ultimately prevailed in overtime, clinching the No. 7 playoff spot and a first-round date with Memphis. The Wolves will return to Minnesota to host Friday’s play-in game for the right to face Denver.

The Heat’s and Timberwolves’ play-in opponents will be determined on Wednesday, starting in the East, where the No. 9 Raptors will host the No. 10 Bulls at 7:00 pm Eastern time.

Both Toronto and Chicago underachieved relative to their expectations this year after finishing among the East’s top six teams a year ago. While neither team was fully healthy – Lonzo Ball‘s season-long absence, in particular, hurt the Bulls – it’s hard to blame injury luck for their lack of success.

Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes all appeared in at least 67 games and logged at least 2,386 minutes, while DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic played at least 74 games and 2,682 minutes apiece. None of those players are on the injury report today, so Wednesday’s matchup will feature two relatively healthy clubs looking to salvage disappointing seasons.

The Raptors will enter Wednesday’s game as 5.5-point favorites, according to BetOnline.ag. They went 27-14 at home this season and have taken a step forward since acquiring Jakob Poeltl at the trade deadline. Toronto has a 15-11 record with a +3.0 net rating since Poeltl’s debut, and its new starting lineup (Poeltl, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby, and Barnes) has a +9.5 net rating in 313 minutes together.

But the Bulls seemingly acquired their own missing piece in February, when they signed Patrick Beverley on the buyout market. Since Beverley’s debut on February 24, Chicago has a 14-9 record and a +5.7 net rating (third-best in the NBA). The Bulls’ new go-to starting lineup (Beverley, DeRozan, LaVine, Vucevic, and Alex Caruso) has outperformed Toronto’s new group, posting a +14.7 net rating across 267 minutes.

Over in the West, the No. 10 Thunder will battle the No. 9 Pelicans for the right to travel to Minnesota on Friday.

Widely viewed as one of the NBA’s worst teams entering the season, the Thunder have exceeded expectations due in large part to the contributions of All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, breakout rookie Jalen Williams, and second-year guard Josh Giddey.

The Pelicans, meanwhile, had aspirations of a top-four seed in the fall and were a much better team when they had Zion Williamson available. They’ve looked average since the former No. 1 pick went down with a hamstring injury, recording a modest +0.2 net rating when Williamson isn’t on the court this season.

Both teams could find reasons for optimism in the results of their four-game regular season series. The Pelicans went 3-1 in those contests, including a pair of wins without Williamson available. On the other hand, Gilgeous-Alexander had a 44-point night against New Orleans and all three of OKC’s losses came by four points or less, so the Thunder actually outscored the Pelicans on the season.

The Pelicans’ home court advantage (they were 27-14 in New Orleans) helps make them 5.5-point favorites on Wednesday, per BetOnline.ag.

We got one upset on Tuesday. Will we get one or two more today? We want to know what you think. Make your play-in picks in the poll below, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!