New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Bogdanovic, Murray, Kuminga, Crowder, Suns

February 27th, 2025 at 12:19pm CST by Rory Maher

As the February 6 deadline neared, Bogdan Bogdanovic was prepared for the fact that Atlanta would likely be trading him to a new team. However, he didn’t know that team would be the Clippers, as Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops relays.

“Seven days before the trade, I knew I was going to change teams,” Bogdanovic told RTS. “I didn’t know where I was going to end up, I even thought I might be in Toronto or New Orleans. … There were about ten teams in the mix, it’s a tricky period when you don’t know where you’ll be.

“But I’m glad I ended up with the Clippers, I’m happy.”

The veteran swingman has his best outing as a Clipper on Wednesday in Chicago, recording 14 points (on 5-of-7 shooting), six assists and a block. Los Angeles outscored Chicago by 13 points in his 25 minutes during the five-point victory, which snapped a three-game losing streak.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes (subscriber link), Kings forward Keegan Murray was battling a nagging foot injury for the first few months of 2024/25. The injury limited his effectiveness, particularly his outside jump shot. However, he rested a couple of games in early January to let his foot heal and has been far more efficient ever since. Murray, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason, recorded a season-high 26 points (on 9-of-16 shooting) in Wednesday’s victory at Utah. He also chipped in six rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in 33 minutes.
The Warriors have been on a roll since they traded for Jimmy Butler, going 6-1 over that span. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, their next challenge will be reintegrating Jonathan Kuminga back in the lineup — the impending restricted free agent has been out since Jan. 4 due to a significant ankle sprain, but he’s inching closer to a return. “The main thing I want for JK is to not press when he comes back,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s not an easy spot to come back into where team’s rolling, contract stuff this summer. He’s going to have a lot on his mind. I want to make things as smooth and easy as possible. I want him to understand that it’s not going to happen right away. He was playing the best basketball of his career before the injury, and it’s not going to happen the first night where he’s going to get back to that level. It will take a little time.”
Kerr added that he wants Kuminga to study Butler on the offensive end. “He’s the perfect guy for JK to emulate,” the Warriors‘ head coach said. “What makes Jimmy special is that he doesn’t try to be special. He plays fundamental basketball. He never turns it over. He just makes the simple play over and over. I want JK to learn some of that … attacking the rim, nothing there, jump stop, pass the ball. That’s a great basketball play.”
Veteran forward Jae Crowder says a rift with former head coach Monty Williams was the reason he was away from the Suns during 2022/23 campaign and eventually led to him being traded at the 2023 deadline, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Crowder finished that season in Milwaukee, but only played 18 games.

Pelicans Sign Brandon Boston To Standard Contract, Jalen Crutcher To Two-Way

February 26th, 2025 at 10:04am CST by Dana Gauruder

February 26: Boston’s standard contract and Crutcher’s two-way deal are now official, the Pelicans confirmed in a press release.

February 25: The Pelicans are converting Brandon Boston Jr.‘s two-way deal into a two-year standard contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. They’ll fill their newly opened two-way slot by signing Jalen Crutcher, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

New Orleans needed to fill a roster spot after buying out Javonte Green. That dropped the team’s roster count to 13 players, one below the limit. It came as no surprise that Boston received a standard deal.

Boston has already appeared in 42 games, eight shy of the limit for a two-way player, including 10 starts. He’s averaging 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 23.6 minutes per night.

Boston, who missed Tuesday’s game against San Antonio due to a left ankle sprain and non-COVID illness, has only appeared in one game this month as he recovers from that ankle injury. He spent his first three seasons with the Clippers after being a late second-round pick in 2021. New Orleans claimed Boston during the preseason after the Spurs waived him.

Crutcher has averaged 18.1 points, 6.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds for the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ NBA G League affiliate.

Since going undrafted out of Dayton in 2021, Crutcher has spent pro career in the G League, including two with the Greensboro Swarm as well as last season with the Squadron.

Crutcher had a 10-day contract with the Pelicans last February. He appeared in one game for the team, making his NBA debut last Feb. 27.

Checking In On Open NBA Roster Spots

February 24th, 2025 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

There has been no shortage of free agent signings across the NBA since the trade deadline, but several clubs still have at least one open roster spot as we near the home stretch of the season.

Using our roster counts tracker, let’s check in on which teams have openings and which are most likely to fill them in the short term.

Teams with multiple open spots on their standard 15-man rosters:

New Orleans Pelicans
Sacramento Kings

The Pelicans and Kings are both currently carrying 13 players on standard contracts, which teams are permitted to do for up to 14 days at a time or 28 days in total during a season.

New Orleans dipped down to 13 players last Thursday by buying out Javonte Green, which means the club will have until next Thursday (March 6) to get back to 14 players. Two-way player Brandon Boston is considered a strong candidate for a promotion, though he’s still eight games away from his 50-game limit because he has been out since February 8 with a sprained ankle.

Sacramento, meanwhile, dropped to 13 players when Daishen Nix‘s 10-day contract expired last Monday night. The Kings need to re-add a 14th man by next Tuesday (March 4) in order to adhere to the NBA’s roster rules.

Teams with one open spot on their standard 15-man rosters:

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Golden State Warriors
- Note: Two of the Warriors’ 14 players are on 10-day contracts.
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New York Knicks

The Celtics, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Knicks are all deep into luxury tax territory and may not be in any rush to add a 15th man, since that player would cost exponentially more once tax penalties are taken into account. New York is currently restricted by a hard cap but could sign a player as soon as February 28.

The Hawks and Pacers have enough breathing room below the tax not to worry about surpassing that line, so they may look to add someone sooner rather than later, perhaps on a 10-day contract.

The Warriors, meanwhile, will dip back to 12 players once the 10-day contracts for Kevin Knox and Yuri Collins expire this Friday night. Golden State has some hard-cap issues to navigate for the rest of the season and might not want to get back to 14 players right away.

Teams with full standard 15-man rosters that include one 10-day contract:

Brooklyn Nets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Memphis Grizzlies
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards

These teams each have 14 players on standard contracts and one on a 10-day deal. With one exception, they’re all below the tax line and could continue cycling through 10-day signings or add a player on a rest-of-season contract when their current 10-day deals expire.

The one exception is Dallas. The Mavericks are right up against their hard cap, so once Moses Brown‘s 10-day contract ends, they won’t be able to bring in a new 15th man (or bring Brown back) until April 10.

Teams with an open two-way slot:

Brooklyn Nets
Golden State Warriors

The Warriors will reportedly fill their open two-way slot with Australian guard Taran Armstrong, so the Nets are really the only team with a two-way spot available, having promoted Tyrese Martin to a standard contract last Thursday.

It’s a pretty safe bet Brooklyn will fill that opening at some point before March 4, which is the deadline for two-way signings. You can also count on several other teams promoting, waiving, and signing two-way players before that deadline.

Pelicans Notes: Olynyk, Zion, Alvarado, Matkovic

February 24th, 2025 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans forward/center Kelly Olynyk has appeared in just two games for his new team since being acquired in the Brandon Ingram trade at this month’s deadline, but he’s already making his impact felt in New Orleans. He immediately entered the Pelicans’ starting lineup in his debut on Friday, grabbed 15 rebounds in a win over San Antonio on Sunday, and is a plus-32 in 49 minutes through two games.

Praising the veteran big man for his professionalism and leadership, Pelicans head coach Willie Green also expressed enthusiasm for what Olynyk brings the team on the court, as Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes.

“He’s a vet. He’s been in situations where he’s been on a few teams. We all kinda run similar plays and have similar concepts,” Green said. “The terminology may be a bit different, but he’ll pick it up quickly. He’s an extremely talented player with his ability to pass, stretch the floor and rebound. He brings more size to our group, so we’re excited to get him and have him on the floor.”

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Michael C. Wright of ESPN (Twitter link) hears that Zion Williamson weighed 264 pounds as of Friday, which would be his lowest weight since the Pelicans drafted him in 2019. The former No. 1 overall pick has been excellent for New Orleans as of late, averaging 27.1 points in 27.4 minutes per game over his past 10 outings on 61.8% shooting.
While he’s one of several Pelicans regulars to miss time with an injury this season, Jose Alvarado has been a bright spot for the team when healthy, averaging career highs in points (10.0), assists (4.5), and steals (1.4) per game, as well as three-point percentage (39.7%). In a story for NOLA.com, Walker highlights Alvarado’s contributions after his big game on Sunday vs. San Antonio, which included a career-best nine rebounds. “Jose was the vocal leader and his energy really shifted the course of the game,” Williamson said after the victory. “His energy is very infectious because it seems like he’s all over the court.” Alvarado signed an extension back in September that includes a $4.5MM guaranteed salary for next season and a $4.5MM player option for 2026/27.
Rookie forward/center Karlo Matkovic appeared in just six of New Orleans’ first 42 games this season, but he has seen action in 13 of the past 15, including nine in a row. The 23-year-old enjoyed the best game of his young career in Sunday’s win over the Spurs, pouring in 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting in 21 minutes while also grabbing six rebounds. Matkovic told reporters after the game that he’s “embracing” the opportunity to play regular minutes for the Pelicans. “Being here, then (in the G League with) Birmingham, and then back and forth. Then getting minutes, not getting minutes,” he said, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “I think that’s a part of the journey. The way it all started, drafted, stashed, working a way through, I think that’s the way it has to go.”

How Wembanyama’s Absence Could Impact Grizzlies, Cavs

February 22nd, 2025 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs announced on Thursday that Victor Wembanyama's second NBA season has come to an early end after testing showed he has a deep vein thrombosis (a form of blood clot) in his right shoulder.

It's a scary diagnosis, but the Spurs caught it early and are said to be optimistic that it will be an isolated issue. There's a relatively recent NBA precedent to back up that belief -- Brandon Ingram's 2018/19 season came to an early end when he dealt with essentially the exact same condition. He was able to return to action later that year and hasn't had any blood clots since then.

Given that Wembanyama is a rising star who has a chance to become the long-term face of the NBA, his return to full health is obviously the top priority not only for the Spurs, but for the league as a whole. However, his absence for the rest of this season will have a fascinating ripple effect across the NBA that could have a significant long-term impact on either the Grizzlies or the Cavaliers -- or both.

In the space below, we'll dig into how Memphis and Cleveland will be affected by Wembanyama's health issue, Bobby Portis' 25-game suspension, the Pelicans' Javonte Green buyout, and more.

Let's dive in...

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Pelicans’ Missi Available Friday Following Knee Injury

February 21st, 2025 at 3:13pm CST by Rory Maher

In what is seemingly the first good bit of injury news the Pelicans have had all season, rookie center Yves Missi has been upgraded from questionable to available for Friday’s contest at Dallas, the team announced (via Twitter).

The 21st overall pick of the 2024 draft, Missi sustained a hyperextended right knee last Thursday against Sacramento, which caused him to miss the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend. However, he’s returning in New Orleans’ first game back after the break, so he may not end up missing any regular season contests as a result of the injury.

Missi has emerged as the starting center for a Pelicans team that lacked depth in the middle entering the season, averaging 27.1 minutes per night and starting in 46 of his 52 total appearances.

The 20-year-old big man has averaged 8.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest so far in 2024/25 as he makes a bid for All-Rookie recognition.

Missi has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise season to forget in New Orleans. The team is trying to end ’24/25 on a positive note after going just 13-42 before the break, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com.

“It’s tough, it’s really tough,” Zion Williamson said about the struggles. “I mean, we had a lot of things not really go our way. But all you can do is make the most of the situation you’re in at the moment.”

Javonte Green Bought Out By Pelicans, Plans To Sign With Cavaliers

February 20th, 2025 at 6:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 20: The Pelicans have officially waived Green, according to a release from the team.

FEBRUARY 19: Javonte Green has reached a buyout agreement with the Pelicans and plans to sign with the Cavaliers once he clears waivers, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 31-year-old swingman has appeared in 50 games this season, making 18 starts and averaging 5.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per night. He’s shooting 35.2% from three-point range and will give Cleveland another veteran wing off the bench for its upcoming playoff run.

The Cavs had a pair of open roster spots after sending two players to Atlanta to acquire De’Andre Hunter at the trade deadline. The team faced a February 20 deadline to get its roster back up to 14 players, which it will accomplish when a 10-day contract with G League forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin is finalized. One more opening will remain, so another move won’t be necessary to add Green, assuming he’s not claimed by another team.

Green is making $2.4MM on the one-year deal he signed with New Orleans last summer. If he gives up any money in the buyout, it will likely be roughly what he’ll earn in Cleveland for the rest of the season on a veteran’s minimum contract.

The Cavaliers will remain below the tax line after adding Green, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Pelicans will be down to 13 players once the move is official, and they’ll have two weeks to fill at least one roster opening. It will likely happen by giving a standard contract to two-way guard Brandon Boston, who has been part of the rotation for most of the season.

Southwest Notes: McCollum, Mavs, Konchar, Jackson, Rockets

February 15th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

CJ McCollum has been a bright spot in an otherwise glum season for the Pelicans. McCollum notched his third 40-plus point night since the start of the New Year on Thursday, leading them to an overtime victory against Sacramento. McCollum’s 43-point night allowed New Orleans to snap a 10-game losing streak.

“CJ is incredible,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green told Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “He’s one of our guys that’s literally holding things together in the locker room with these young guys. He’s been through so much throughout the course of his career. He’s a staple for us. We see it week in and week out that he comes out and gives it everything he has every night.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Overshadowed by the firestorm regarding the Luka Doncic trade is that the Mavericks, despite a wave of injuries, entered the All-Star break having won four of their last five games. That included a five-point victory over Miami in their last outing. “The bumps and bruises go away faster,” coach Jason Kidd said, per Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal. “As I told the guys, get some rest, enjoy the break, be safe and when we come back, it’s time to push forward and find a way to get as high a seed as we can and win as many games as we can. Sometimes, you want the break. We do need the break, but we are starting to play pretty good basketball.”
During a Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), Jake Fischer identifies Grizzlies guard John Konchar as a potential buyout candidate. Konchar has posted modest stats in 29 appearances this season and isn’t part of the team’s regular rotation. However, he’s also in the first year of a three-year, $18.5MM contract, which is fully guaranteed, so it would seem like a long shot for the two parties to agree on a buyout.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is aiming for his second Defensive Player of the Year award, though it will be difficult to beat out Victor Wembanyama for that honor going forward. Jackson, who is making his second All-Star appearance, leads the Grizzlies in blocks and steals. “It’s a team award, really. So it would mean the world,” Jackson told Mark Medina of Athlon Sports. “It’s hard to win it two times. You can see that now. It’s not a given. So it would mean the world.”
The Rockets are clinging to fourth place in the Western Conference standings after losing seven of their last nine contests prior to the All-Star break. They dropped Thursday’s game to Golden State by a score of 105-98 and their head coach said the club needs some time off. The absences of Fred VanVleet (ankle) and Jabari Smith Jr. (hand) have played a major role in their slide. “We could be mentally and physically fried,” coach Ime Udoka told Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “But everybody’s in the situation right now going into the break. Maybe our guys are tired, but … a lack of competitiveness is not an excuse.”

Projected NBA Taxpayers For 2024/25

February 14th, 2025 at 4:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Ten NBA teams are still operating in luxury tax territory in the wake of last Thursday’s trade deadline, but this season’s total projected luxury tax payments – and the clubs projected to be taxpayers – have declined significantly in recent weeks.

As of January 23, a total of 14 teams projected to be taxpayers, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links) observes, with the 16 non-taxpayers on track to receive about $17.8MM apiece, which would have been the largest payout in NBA history.

But the Cavaliers, Pelicans, Clippers, and Sixers all ducked the tax line with their pre-deadline moves, while a few other teams remained in the tax but took steps to significantly reduce their end-of-season bills. Milwaukee, for instance, had been projected to pay about $74.8MM in tax penalties, but has since reduced that figure by more than half, according to Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom.

Here are the current projected tax penalties, per Pincus’ data:

Phoenix Suns: $152.26MM
Minnesota Timberwolves: $84.85MM
Boston Celtics: $53.45MM
Los Angeles Lakers: $52.53MM
New York Knicks: $36.45MM
Milwaukee Bucks: $32.66MM
Denver Nuggets: $20.36MM
Golden State Warriors: $12.36MM
Dallas Mavericks: $6.39MM
Miami Heat: $4.18MM
Total: $455.49MM

These numbers will fluctuate a little before the end of the season. For instance, the Lakers recently increased their projected bill when they signed Alex Len to a rest-of-season contract, and the Warriors will need to make multiple roster additions in the near future, which will cause their bill to rise. Various contract incentives that go earned or unearned could also impact the end-of-season tax figures.

Based on the current figures from Pincus, each non-taxpayer is projected to receive a payout of about $11.4MM. That figure is determined by cutting the total league-wide tax penalties in half, then dividing them evenly among the non-taxpaying teams (in this case, 20 clubs).

As significant as the Suns’ tax penalty projects to be, especially for a team currently flirting with .500, it won’t be a single-season record — Golden State has actually exceeded $152.26MM in tax payments in each of the past three years (2022-24).

Assuming these are the 10 teams that finish the season in tax territory, the Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, and Suns would all be subject to repeater penalties in 2025/26 if they’re taxpayers again next season.

Pelicans’ Missi Hyperextends Knee, Replaced By Bulls’ Buzelis For Rising Stars

February 14th, 2025 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

After exiting Thursday’s overtime victory over Sacramento due to a knee injury, Pelicans center Yves Missi has been diagnosed with a right knee hyperextension, the team announced today (via Twitter).

An MRI showed no structural damage in the knee, according to the Pelicans, who say that the rookie big man will help reevaluated at some point next week, with more details to come at that time.

The 21st overall pick in the 2024 draft, Missi has been a bright spot in a season to forget in New Orleans. The 20-year-old has emerged as the starting center for a Pelicans team that lacked depth in the middle entering the season, averaging 27.1 minutes per night and starting in 46 of his 52 total appearances.

Missi has averaged 8.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per contest so far in 2024/25 as he makes a bid for All-Rookie recognition.

Missi had been selected to participate in the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend, so the NBA announced on Friday (via Twitter) that Bulls forward Matas Buzelis has been named his replacement. Buzelis was already headed to San Francisco to participate in Saturday’s dunk contest, making him a logical choice to take part in Friday’s mini-tournament as well.

While Buzelis’ full-season averages of 6.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game are modest, he has earned an increased rotation role as of late, scoring double-digit points in each of his past eight games and putting up 14.1 PPG on .597/.424/.765 shooting during that stretch.

Buzelis will compete on Friday for the Rising Stars team drafted by former NBA star Mitch Richmond, joining Julian Strawther as the second injury replacement on the roster. The seven-player squad also features the Thompson twins (Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson), Wizards teammates Carlton Carrington and Bilal Coulibaly, and Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara.

The rosters for the four-team event can be viewed here.