New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Brandon Ingram’s Future Remains Question Mark For Pelicans

September 5th, 2024 at 7:25pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Brandon Ingram‘s standing with the Pelicans remain in question with less than a month to go until the team reports to training camp, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. It seems like Ingram will play out the final year of his contract with New Orleans, but his name has consistently appeared in trade rumors since the beginning of the offseason.

As we’ve previously outlined, Ingram is in the final year of a contract that pays him approximately $36MM this season. He’s seeking a contract extension that includes a pay raise, but the Pelicans have been hesitant to make that sort of long-term investment.

Ingram’s production on its face is worthy of an increase in pay, as he averaged 23.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.2% on three-pointers in his five seasons with the Pelicans. However, he expressed disappointment with his role late last season after being benched in the fourth quarter of the play-in game. That brings into question how Ingram will respond this season without a clear indication of his future, Guillory writes.

According to Guillory, Ingram did not attend a week-long mini-camp held by New Orleans players in California that featured every player on the roster outside of him and Daniel Theis. The Pelicans believed Ingram would show up, but he never did. This is an event Ingram organized in the past, Guillory writes, so it was notable that he wasn’t there.

With Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray on lucrative contracts, the Pelicans don’t seem eager to dole out more big money, especially with an extension for Trey Murphy on the horizon. The new CBA limitations also complicate potential trade options, especially before the season, since any team acquiring Ingram would need to be confident in its ability to lock him up long-term in order to warrant giving up valuable assets in a trade.

Whether or not he has fallen out of favor, the Pelicans need Ingram’s shot creation if they want to maximize the potential of the current roster, Guillory reasons.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans Arena, Rockets, Mavs, Johnson, Paul

September 5th, 2024 at 9:41am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans’ arena, Smoothie King Center, is in need of major renovations, per Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Most systems and equipment have reached or exceeded their usable life, according to an assessment report from an architecture firm and consulting company. The building’s sound and public address system are among the items that need to be replaced. The report’s findings shift the spotlight onto Pelicans owner Gayle Benson and Louisiana state officials to either fund a renovation of the nearly 25-year-old building or build a new arena, Clark adds.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

While some teams are holding training camp at faraway places, the Rockets are happy they’ll stay at home. They will hold training camp, beginning Oct. 1, at their new practice facility, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. In recent years, they’ve held camp in a variety of locations out of town. The $70MM basketball headquarters is about a 10-minute drive from the Rockets’ home arena, the Toyota Center.
How will Jason Kidd manage the minutes of Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford at the Mavericks’ center position? That’s one of the big questions for Dallas heading into training camp, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. The need for Jaden Hardy to have a breakout season after Josh Green was traded is another intriguing element of this year’s camp.
Keldon Johnson wore No. 3 for the Spurs the last few seasons. He’s giving up that uniform number to Chris Paul, according to ESPN. Johnson will instead take No. 0. Paul, who signed a one-year contract with San Antonio, has worn No. 3 since entering the league in 2005.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Olympics, Oubre, Ingram

September 4th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Along with winning a gold medal in his first-ever Olympics, Stephen Curry tells Natasha Dye of People Magazine that the experience was memorable because he got to team up with long-time rival LeBron James. Like many others, Curry was impressed by the intense work ethic James displayed with Team USA.

“All the battles we’ve had on the court and the back and forth, the fact that we actually got to be teammates, not just in any game like an All-Star game or whatever, but in high stakes basketball with a lot on the line … I think there’s a deepened respect and friendship there,” Curry said. “Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we’re teammates or not.”

Curry added that he’s especially excited as the start of his 16th season with the Warriors draws near. He’s eager to prove that the team can stay in the hunt for a title without Klay Thompson, who left for Dallas during the offseason.

“I love the fact that people don’t think we can keep the pace with some of the other teams that they’re picking in the West,” Curry said. “And I just love that challenge of stepping into a training camp and being able to create your own success — that gets me going. And obviously coming off of this Olympic experience, I’m trying to channel that energy all year.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

During an appearance Tuesday on “The Today Show,” Curry expressed a desire to finish out his career with Golden State, relays Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. Curry didn’t indicate that he plans to call it quits any time soon, but he said he wants to be remembered as a one-team player.
Michael Pina of The Ringer examines the Warriors’ chances of making another title run before Curry retires. He notes that the front office unsuccessfully attempted to trade for Paul George and Lauri Markkanen this summer, leaving Curry with no teammates capable of playing at an All-Star level. Pina observes that Curry’s one-year extension gives general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. more time to upgrade the roster, but it doesn’t ease the sense of urgency that exists with the team’s top star heading for his 37th birthday before the season ends.
Golden State’s cautious approach to roster building dates back to an ill-fated trade for Kelly Oubre in 2020, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. After Thompson was lost to a season-ending injury, owner Joe Lacob was “the driving force” behind acquiring Oubre despite objections from then-general manager Bob Myers and the coaching staff. Since then, Poole adds, the organization has concentrated on moves that complement the core of the team rather than trying to expand it. Through that prism, sources tell Poole that Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is viewed as too risky, and Poole describes the chances of an Ingram trade as “minuscule.”

And-Ones: Hines, NBL Blitz, Diamond Sports, Milestones

September 4th, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Former UNC Greensboro standout and four-time EuroLeague champion Kyle Hines announced on Wednesday that he has decided to retire as a player at age 38 (Instagram link).

Hines, who won a pair of EuroLeague titles with Olympiacos (in 2012 and 2023) and two more with CSKA Moscow (2016 and 2019), also spent time with Veroli (Italy), Brose Bamberg (Germany), and Olimpia Milano (Italy) during his 16-year professional career.

The 6’6″ forward was named to the EuroLeague’s All-Decade team for the 2010s, claimed Best Defender honors in 2016, 2018, and 2022, and will retire as the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in games played (425). He also excelled in domestic competitions, winning three Italian League (LBA) championships to go along with six titles in the Russian League (VTB United) and one in the Greek League (GBL).

“When I didn’t get drafted (in 2008), what I thought would be one of the biggest disappointments in my life turned out to be my biggest blessing,” Hines wrote within a longer statement. “Coming to Europe gave me the opportunity to grow as a person. It allowed me to compete at the highest level. It allowed me to become a competitor, a leader, and champion. Off the court it has given me the opportunity to travel the world, meet so many great people, and share in some amazing memories that will last a lifetime.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Australia’s National Basketball League is expecting 25 NBA scouts and executives – representing 22 separate teams – to visit the Gold Coast to attend the league’s preseason tournament, the NBL Blitz, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN. The eight teams not sending representatives are expected to scout NBL talent at a later date — the Trail Blazers, for instance, will instead attend the HoopsFest in Perth later this month, per Uluc. Nets general manager Sean Marks is among the most notable NBA executives expected to be at the NBL Blitz, according to Uluc, who notes that NBA teams will be able to scout draft-eligible prospects for 2025 and 2026 in addition to veterans who could eventually come stateside.
A federal bankruptcy judge signed off on Diamond Sports Group’s new agreements with the NBA and NHL on Tuesday and approved the company’s parting of ways with the Pelicans and Mavericks, reports Anthony Crupi of Sportico. The same judge will preside over a status conference in early October, with a date for a final confirmation hearing expected to be set at that session. Diamond Sports – the owner of the Bally Sports networks that will regionally broadcast 13 NBA teams’ games in 2024/25 – is looking to exit bankruptcy this fall.
An ESPN.com story explores a handful of individual NBA milestones that may be reached during the 2024/25 season, including Lakers star LeBron James potentially passing 50,000 career points (for the regular season and postseason) and becoming the league’s all-time leader in regular season minutes. James needs 1,364 more total points and 850 more regular season minutes to achieve those feats.

NBA 2024 Offseason Check-In: New Orleans Pelicans

August 29th, 2024 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the New Orleans Pelicans.

Free agent signings

Javonte Green: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Daniel Theis: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Matt Ryan: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

Acquired the draft rights to Antonio Reeves (No. 47 pick) from the Magic in exchange for the right to swap second-round picks in 2030 and 2031.
Acquired the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick (top-50 protected) from the Wizards in exchange for Jonas Valanciunas (sign-and-trade).
Acquired Dejounte Murray from the Hawks in exchange for Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell, Cody Zeller (sign-and-trade), the Lakers’ 2025 first-round pick, and either the Pelicans’ or Bucks’ 2027 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable; top-four protected).

Draft picks

1-21: Yves Missi
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $15,654,827).
2-47: Antonio Reeves
- Signed to three-year, minimum-salary contract ($5,408,801). First year guaranteed. Second year non-guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed team option.

Two-way signings

Jamal Cain

Departed/unsigned free agents

Naji Marshall (Mavericks)
Dereon Seabron (unsigned)
Cody Zeller (Hawks)

Other moves

Exercised Jeremiah Robinson-Earl‘s 2024/25 team option ($2,196,970).
Exercised Jose Alvarado‘s 2024/25 team option ($1,988,598).
Signed draft-and-stash prospect Karlo Matkovic to a three-year, $5,658,801 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third-year team option.
Claimed Trey Jemison (two-way) off waivers.

Salary cap situation

Operating over the cap ($140.6MM), over the luxury tax line ($170.8MM), and below the first tax apron ($178.1MM).
Carrying approximately $172.4MM in salary.
Hard-capped at $178,132,000.
Full mid-level, bi-annual exceptions available.
Two traded player exceptions available (largest worth $9,900,000).

The offseason so far

The Pelicans entered the summer with three key items on their to-do list — upgrading at point guard, finding a starting center, and resolving the Brandon Ingram situation.

Of those three goals, the Pelicans clearly achieved one of them, striking a deal with the Hawks to acquire Dejounte Murray to fortify their backcourt. The cost – including a rotation big man (Larry Nance Jr.), a former lottery pick with untapped potential (Dyson Daniels), and two future first-round picks – wasn’t cheap, but Murray should bring an intriguing new element to a Pelicans team that has relied on CJ McCollum to run the point in recent years.

While McCollum did OK in that role, Murray is more of a natural play-maker whose presence will allow McCollum to operate more off the ball, or perhaps even to run the second unit. And while Murray’s defensive numbers dropped off in Atlanta, he has an All-Defensive nod on his résumé and has the tools to bounce back on that side of the ball, upgrading the Pelicans’ perimeter defense.

The other two top items on the Pelicans’ offseason checklist remain a work in progress.

New Orleans is unwilling to offer Ingram a long-term, maximum-salary extension as he enters a contract year, and has rising sharpshooter Trey Murphy in the wings waiting to step into Ingram’s starting role. The team also lost its top two centers – Nance and Jonas Valanciunas – this offseason, with Valanciunas leaving for Washington in free agency.

The two-in-one solution to those issues would be to trade Ingram for a starting-caliber center, but New Orleans has explored that path with no success so far, as targets like Jarrett Allen, Nic Claxton, and Wendell Carter remained with their respective teams this summer. As a result, the cap-strapped Pelicans had to turn to free agency for a temporary solution at the five, bringing in veteran big man Daniel Theis on a minimum-salary deal.

Theis is better suited to be a backup, but he’s the best option the Pelicans have at center in the short term, with newly added rookies Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic unlikely to play major roles right away and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl seemingly lacking starter upside. In a perfect world, Missi would enjoy a Dereck Lively-esque debut season and pair with Theis to form a reliable platoon in the middle. But it’s more likely that center will remain an area of need for New Orleans into the season.

As for Ingram, the Pelicans are said to be open to discussing an extension below the maximum, but with Zion Williamson occupying one forward spot and Murphy and Herbert Jones having earned significant roles, investing heavily in Ingram may not be the preferred path for the organization. As talented a scorer as he is, the former No. 2 overall pick isn’t an elite three-point shooter or defender, making him a somewhat awkward fit next to Williamson, who shares those traits.

Of course, those are the same reasons why another team might be reluctant to trade for Ingram and commit to paying his next contract, which hurts the Pelicans’ ability to extract a ton of value for him on the trade market. Ingram’s presence also gives New Orleans some high-level insurance in the event of a Williamson injury, which hasn’t exactly been a rare occurrence in recent years. It’ll be fascinating to see whether a trade or a new contract with New Orleans is the next step for the 2020 All-Star.

Up next

As detailed above, Ingram’s future with the franchise remains up in the air, but it’s possible no resolution comes before opening night. The forward will remain extension-eligible throughout the season, all the way up until June 30, 2025, and the Pelicans could trade him at anytime up until February’s deadline — or even in a sign-and-trade deal next summer. So while it would be nice to have an answer sooner rather than later, the two sides can afford to enter the regular season without an extension or trade.

The Pelicans have two more extension candidates with whom they’ll likely explore new deals before the season begins. Like Ingram, Jose Alvarado will be extension-eligible all year, but the team faces an October 21 deadline in its talks with Murphy. If Murphy hasn’t signed a rookie scale extension by that time, he’ll become a restricted free agent next July.

Murphy, 24, hasn’t made fewer than 38.0% of his three-point attempts in any of his three NBA seasons and has increased his shot volume every year, from 3.0 attempts per game as a rookie to 7.8 last season.

A player who can shoot like that and hold his own on defense is an extremely valuable asset and that will be reflected in his next contract. RJ Barrett, Jordan Poole, Tyler Herro, Jaden McDaniels, and Devin Vassell all received four- or five-year rookie scale extensions ranging from $107-135MM during the 2022 and 2023 offseasons. I expect Murphy to seek a deal at least in that neighborhood.

The cost for Alvarado shouldn’t be as high, but he’ll certainly be due a raise on his current minimum-salary contract after having established himself as a reliable rotation player for the Pelicans. The 26-year-old would be an unrestricted free agent next summer, so I expect New Orleans will make an effort to stop him from reaching the open market, but it remains to be seen how high the front office will be comfortable going for a reserve like Alvarado.

The Pelicans are currently carrying 15 players on standard contracts on three on two-way deals, so barring a preseason trade involving Ingram and/or a center, the roster looks pretty close to being set for the regular season.

We’ll see whether 15th man Matt Ryan opens the season on the roster or is waived for financial reasons. It’s also possible New Orleans will make a change or two to its two-way players — Malcolm Hill, whose two-way deal carried over from 2023/24, didn’t appear in a single game for the Pelicans last season, so it’s unclear whether he’s in their plans going forward. For what it’s worth, he had a strong year in the G League.

Matt Ryan Re-Signs With Pelicans On Camp Deal

August 27th, 2024 at 4:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 27: Ryan’s new deal with the Pelicans is now official, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Ryan’s non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract includes Exhibit 9 language (protecting the team in the event of a preseason injury), but not Exhibit 10 language, Hoops Rumors has learned.

That means it can’t be converted into a two-way deal and won’t award Ryan a bonus if he’s waived and then spends time with the Birmingham Squadron, New Orleans’ G League team.

AUGUST 26: The Pelicans are re-signing Matt Ryan on a reworked one-year contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Ryan was waived on Friday.

Ryan, 27, appeared in 28 games for New Orleans in 2023/24, averaging 5.4 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 45.1% from three-point range in 13.9 minutes per contest. He missed several weeks of action last season due to a right calf strain and a right elbow injury, which required surgery in December.

New Orleans claimed Ryan off waivers last October, inheriting the two-way contract he signed with Minnesota shortly before the start of training camp. He also had brief stints with the Celtics and Lakers earlier in his career.

The Pelicans converted Ryan to a standard contract at the very end of last season, making him playoff-eligible. However, his three-year deal — which featured a significant end-of-season payday in ’23/24 — was non-guaranteed for the ’24/25 and ’25/26 seasons.

Ryan’s salary for ’24/25 would have become guaranteed if he had remained under contract through the start of the regular season. While we don’t know the details of the new contract yet, it’s likely another minimum-salary deal that won’t become guaranteed until the league-wide date of January 10. It should also have a cap hit of $2,087,519 instead of $2,196,970.

The Pelicans now have 15 players on standard contracts, with 13 players on guaranteed salaries.

Pelicans Waive Matt Ryan

August 23rd, 2024 at 9:03pm CST by Rory Maher

9:03pm: The Pelicans officially waived Ryan on Friday, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

1:19pm: The Pelicans plan to waive sharpshooter Matt Ryan, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Ryan, 27, appeared in 28 games for New Orleans in 2023/24, averaging 5.4 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 45.1% from three-point range in 13.9 minutes per contest. He missed several weeks of action last season due to a right calf strain and a right elbow injury, which required surgery in December.

New Orleans claimed Ryan off waivers last October, inheriting the two-way contract he signed with Minnesota shortly before the start of training camp. He also had brief stints with the Celtics and Lakers earlier in his career.

The Pelicans converted Ryan to a standard contract at the very end of last season, making him playoff-eligible. However, his three-year deal — which featured a significant end-of-season payday in ’23/24 — was non-guaranteed for the ’24/25 and ’25/26 seasons. That means the Pels won’t carry a dead-money cap hit by cutting Ryan loose.

Ryan’s salary for ’24/25 would have become guaranteed if he had remained under contract through the start of the regular season.

After officially signing Javonte Green, the Pelicans had 15 players on standard contracts, with 13 players on guaranteed salaries. They’re back down to 14 players now, with Jose Alvarado holding the lone non-guaranteed deal.

The Pelicans are still about $1.6MM over the luxury tax line after releasing Ryan, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks, with a tax distribution to non-taxpaying teams projected to be a record high of $18.2MM. 13 teams are presently over the tax threshold, Marks adds.

If Ryan clears waivers in a couple days, he will become an unrestricted free agent. As a three-year veteran, he remains eligible for a two-way contract covering one season.

And-Ones: Diamond RSNs, Dragic, Nowtizki, Oppenheimer

August 23rd, 2024 at 8:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Diamond Sports Group – the parent company of the Bally Sports regional networks – announced on Friday that it has reached an agreement with the NBA to continue local broadcasts for 13 teams for the 2024/25 season, according to Evan Drellich and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.

Diamond’s agreements, including a deal with the NHL to continue broadcasting nine teams’ games, will need to be approved by a federal bankruptcy judge. That hearing is scheduled for September 3, per Drellich and Vorkunov. While the new deals will only cover the 2024/25 season for now, they could extend beyond that if Diamond gets out of bankruptcy.

Diamond won’t be moving forward on deals with the Pelicans or the Mavericks, according to Friday’s announcement. The Pelicans news was reported earlier this month, with the team making plans to broadcasting its games for free over the air through Gray TV.

The Mavericks’ broadcast plans for the coming season remain unclear. However, The Athletic characterized the split with Dallas as mutual, and an NBA spokesperson told The Dallas Morning News that the Mavs “declined to continue distributing their games” through Diamond/Bally Sports, so it sounds like the club has a new plan in the works.

The 13 teams whose games will continue to air on Diamond’s regional sports networks in 2024/25 are the Hawks, Hornets, Cavaliers, Pistons, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Timberwolves, Thunder, Magic, and Spurs.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Saturday’s farewell game in honor of Goran Dragic‘s retirement – dubbed “The Night of the Dragon,” will stream on the NBA App at 2:00 pm Eastern time, the league announced today (Twitter link). Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic will team up as part of “Team Luka,” while Dragic’s roster features former MVP Steve Nash. Eurohoops published the full rosters on Twitter.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Dragic’s farewell game, Dirk Nowitzki suggested that he would like to continue working in basketball in some capacity, but he doesn’t plan on becoming a full-time coach for any team. “I don’t think I see coaching in my future,” Nowitzki said, per Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. “Things could change very quickly, but I don’t see myself as a team coach. I see more myself as an individual coach.”
Former Bucks assistant Josh Oppenheimer has accepted a job on Porter Moser‘s coaching staff at Oklahoma, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Milwaukee parted ways with Oppenheimer – who had a “close working relationship” with Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Wojnarowski – back in May as Doc Rivers made changes to his staff ahead of his first full season with the Bucks.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Theis, Marshall, Mavericks

August 22nd, 2024 at 5:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pelicans are set to hold a voluntary mini-camp ahead of the official start of their team training camp, reports Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). New Orleans is expected to have all but one member of its roster present at the mini-camp, which will take place next week in California.

The club is looking to build on its postseason success last year. New Orleans finished with a 49-33 record, its best finish since 2008/09. The team fell in its first play-in tournament game to the Lakers, but managed to survive the Kings and secure the West’s No. 8 seed. The Pelicans were quickly swept out of the playoffs by the No. 1-seeded Thunder.

Team president David Griffin wasn’t going to take the defeat lying down. He traded to acquire former All-Star combo guard Dejounte Murray from the Hawks, and is hoping New Orleans can bolster its backcourt defense. The Pelicans lost starting center Jonas Valanciunas to free agency, and questions remain about the fate of star forward Brandon Ingram. Ingram’s fit alongside All-Star forward Zion Williamson has long been in question. Ingram has yet to work out a contract extension with New Orleans this summer.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Newly-signed Pelicans center Daniel Theis isn’t expected to join his teammates in California for the team’s voluntary mini-camp, tweets Guillory. The 6’8″ big man inked a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal to join New Orleans this summer. Across 60 games for the Pacers and Clippers in 2023/24, Theis posted averages of 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.9 blocks per night, with a shooting line of .532/.366/.760.
In a mailbag, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reflected on how new addition Naji Marshall may be able to offset the free agency departure of starting swingman Derrick Jones Jr., noting that Marshall is a stronger long-range shooter and a solid passer, but not quite as good a defender or lob target.
Elsewhere in the mailbag, Curtis says he sees the Mavericks’ three major roster acquisitions as overall improvements over role players Jones, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Josh Green. Beyond Marshall, Dallas added former Warriors All-Star wing Klay Thompson via sign-and-trade and obtained guard Quentin Grimes.

Javonte Green Signs With Pelicans

August 22nd, 2024 at 5:35pm CST by Tristan Tucker

AUGUST 22: Green’s addition is now official, the Pelicans have announced (Twitter link).

AUGUST 20: The Pelicans are signing free agent Javonte Green, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 6’4″ wing with power forward versatility closed last season with the Bulls.

According to Charania, the deal is for one year. William Guillory of The Athletic adds that it will be a guaranteed minimum-salary contract (Twitter link). Since Green has five years of NBA service, his deal will pay him $2,425,403 while counting for $2,087,519 against the cap.

Green went undrafted in 2015 but caught on with the Celtics ahead of the 2019/20 season. He spent one-and-a-half years with Boston before being traded to the Bulls.

The Radford product was a key part of the 2021/22 Bulls, averaging 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 65 games (45 starts). He wasn’t re-signed by the team after his contract expired in 2023 but he eventually caught back on with the organization last season when he signed a pair of deals with the Bulls to close out the year.

In his nine games last season, Green averaged a career-high 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. In 195 career games, he holds averages of 5.4 points and 3.1 boards while shooting a .541/.345/.754 line.

Once Green’s deal is official, the Pelicans will have a full 15-man roster of standard contract players, with 13 guaranteed salaries. All three of their two-way spots are also occupied.

With Jonas Valanciunas out of the fold, New Orleans added several bigs to their bench in Yves Missi, Karlo Matkovic and Daniel Theis. While Green doesn’t have the same size as those players, he provides another strong rebounding presence (6.8 rebounds per 36 minutes).