New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Watson, Lakers, Nance, Rose

December 29th, 2023 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone made a late decision to start Peyton Watson in place of injured forward Aaron Gordon on Thursday and the second-year wing responded in a major way, scoring a career-high 20 points and making four three-pointers as Memphis gave him room on the perimeter, as Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post details.

“They didn’t guard him early but he stayed with it and he didn’t lose confidence,” Malone said. “That can mess with you, but I thought Peyton did a really good job. I think he knows we have faith and confidence in him, and let’s be honest, Peyton Watson knows he’s a huge part of our future.”

Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link) referred to it as a “statement decision” by Malone to insert Watson into the starting five over Justin Holiday, who had started the previous four games that Gordon missed.

Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link) adds that the club had planned to approach that spot in the lineup on a game-by-game basis until Gordon gets healthy, but suggests Watson may have earned the role going forward with his performance on Thursday.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

After linking Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale to the Lakers in the offseason, Jovan Buha of The Athletic said this week in an episode of Hoops Tonight (YouTube link) that Los Angeles still has trade interest in the two Nets forwards. NetsDaily passes along Buha’s comments and explores whether a deal between the two teams is realistic.
Ankle, groin, and rib injuries sapped Larry Nance Jr. of much of his athleticism earlier in the season, but the Pelicans big man is now feeling as good as he has “in years,” he tells Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Nance, who played on Thursday for the first time since November 27, pointed to a dunk over Walker Kessler as an example of the type of play he wasn’t making a month or two ago. “It just felt good to get back to who I am,” Nance said. “Earlier in the season, I would have got that drop-off and tried to throw up some B.S. hook or some floater. I can make it. But that’s not who I am. That’s not what this team needs from me.”
Grizzlies guard Derrick Rose is loving being back in Memphis after spending a single college season with the Memphis Tigers 16 years ago, writes Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal. Rose and his family had never bought a home in any of the cities he previously played in, but they did so in Memphis this year, with the 35-year-old hoping to stick around for the foreseeable future. “When I did leave (after college), I always wished that I stayed a little bit longer,” Rose said. “That’s crazy, like all the times we’ve had chances to purchase spots and our first purchase was in Memphis.”

Injury Notes: Brown, Doncic, Payton, Vincent, Nance, Heat

December 28th, 2023 at 3:52pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics wing Jaylen Brown has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against Detroit due to a lower back contusion, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Brown sustained the injury on Monday against the Lakers after being accidentally kneed in the back by LeBron James. Both players were down in pain for a few minutes, but were able to return later in the contest.

Brown, who signed a five-year, super-max extension in the offseason, is averaging 22.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.1 SPG on .478/.335/.734 shooting in 28 games (33.8 MPG) this season for Boston.

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Mavericks will be without Luka Doncic for Thursday’s game in Minnesota, as first reported by Marc Stein (via Twitter). Doncic is dealing with left quad soreness. As Stein notes, it’s the second game of a back-to-back for Dallas, which lost to Cleveland on Wednesday.
Warriors swingman Gary Payton II practiced on Wednesday, according to Jon Schultz of The San Francisco Chronicle. “He had a lot of energy today,” Trayce Jackson-Davis said of Payton. “Had a great practice, and we need them out there. Obviously our guard depth is a little shallow right now, and just having another defensive two-way guard on the floor is going to help us a lot.” However, Payton has been ruled out of Thursday’s contest vs. Miami, per the league’s official injury report. It will be the 13th consecutive absence for Payton, who has been battling a right calf strain.
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Wednesday and will be reevaluated in about eight weeks, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Jarred Vanderbilt is one of the players who will receive more minutes with Vincent out, Turner adds. “It obviously hurt. He’s a big component of what we do,” Vanderbilt said of Vincent. “Great player, great system player. So, obviously health comes first. So, we want him to get healthy. For us, it’s the next-man-up mentality. Continue to play the right way and have some guys step up in his absence.”
Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr. has missed the past month after aggravating a rib fracture, but he’ll be active tonight against Utah, he told Christian Clark of NOLA.com and other media members (Twitter link). Nance has been limited to 14 games thus far in 2023/24.
The Heat have dealt with numerous injuries once again this season and will be shorthanded during Thursday’s contest in Golden State, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Jimmy Butler (left calf strain), Kyle Lowry (soreness), Caleb Martin (right ankle sprain) are all out, Josh Richardson (back discomfort) is doubtful, and Orlando Robinson is away from the team after being assigned to the G League.

Pelicans Renew Naming Rights Agreement For Smoothie King Center

December 27th, 2023 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans announced the renewal of naming rights this week for Smoothie King Center, relays Rod Walker of NOLA.com. A statement from the team said the name will remain in place “for the foreseeable future.”

Trey Murphy Ready "Dog Days Of The Season"

December 23rd, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Trey Murphy has become a valuable part of the Pelicans‘ offense since returning from left knee surgery that forced him to miss the first 19 games of the season, notes Christian Clark of NOLA. Murphy made his first start Thursday and delivered 28 points in a win at Cleveland. “I feel great,” he said. “I’m getting back into my rhythm. I’m getting back into the flow of things. It’s just in time for the dog days of the season. I have fresh legs for those times.”

Checking In On NBA’s Open Roster Spots

December 22nd, 2023 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

Nearly two months into the NBA’s 2023/24 season, there are only eight open roster spots available across the league. Each team is permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, so that means 532 of 540 total roster spots are occupied.

All 90 two-way contract slots are currently filled, which means that each of the eight remaining openings is a standard slot.

Here are the teams that are currently carrying only 14 players on their respective standard rosters:

Boston Celtics
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans

The Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Heat, and Pelicans are all currently over the luxury tax line and presumably aren’t eager to increase their projected end-of-season tax bills without a very good reason to do so. It seems likely that all five teams will fill their 15th roster spots by the end of the regular season, but there has been no urgency to do so yet.

While Boston, Golden State, and Miami have team salaries well beyond the tax threshold, Los Angeles and New Orleans aren’t far above that cutoff, so if the opportunity arises at the trade deadline, we could see them try to make cost-cutting trades in order to duck the tax. That figures to be more of a priority for the Pelicans, who have never been taxpayers, than it will be for the Lakers, who will likely be willing to take on additional salary for the right upgrade.

As for the Bulls, Cavaliers, and Timberwolves, all three teams entered the season close enough to the tax line that it didn’t make sense to carry a 15th man who would’ve pushed team salary above that threshold.

Chicago and Minnesota have a little more breathing room than Cleveland and could sign a free agent today without going into the tax, but I expect they’ll be patient — both teams are candidates to make trade deadline moves, so if they have to take back an extra $1-2MM in salaries in a deal, that breathing room below the tax will come in handy.

The injury-ravaged Cavaliers could benefit from adding a 15th man, but they’re less than $800K away from the tax line and have no interest in becoming a taxpayer, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. A trade or buyout involving Ricky Rubio, which they’ve reportedly begun looking into, could generate some additional flexibility to fill out the roster, but there has been no indication anything is imminent.

Final Three Years Of Zion Williamson’s Extension No Longer Guaranteed

December 21st, 2023 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The five-year, $197MM extension that Zion Williamson signed with the Pelicans in 2022 no longer carries a guarantee for the final three seasons, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic has learned.

According to Vorkunov, a clause in the contract makes Williamson’s salaries for 2025/26, 2026/27, and 2027/28 non-guaranteed because he missed more than 22 games last season. A year after sitting out an entire season with a foot injury, Williamson managed to play in just 29 games in 2022/23, mainly due to a lingering hamstring issue.

Missing significant time again this season could reduce the guaranteed portion of Williamson’s $36.7MM salary for 2024/25, Vorkunov adds, although his contract contains provisions for him to earn back some of the guarantees by playing in a certain number of games and achieving weigh-in benchmarks. He has been more reliable so far this season, appearing in 23 of 28 games, even though there have been concerns about his conditioning.

Williamson risks losing more guaranteed money if he doesn’t keep adhering to the team’s weight guidelines. As previously reported, the Pelicans are requiring him to keep the total of his weight and body fat percentage below a combined 295, with Vorkunov noting that because Williamson was listed at 285 pounds last season, his body fat would have had to be less than 10% to meet that clause.

The contract also includes protections for the team if Williamson has further problems with the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, which is what sidelined him for the 2021/22 season. If he suffers another fracture or stress injury to that area, he will lose the guarantee on half his base salary for 2024/25, sources tell Vorkunov.

There are provisions for Williamson to regain portions of his guaranteed money, Vorkunov adds. Twenty percent of his 2025/26 salary will be guaranteed if he hits all six of his weight checkpoints next season, another 40% if he’s able to play in at least half the team’s game for 2024/25 and the remaining 20% if he reaches 61 games. Similar pathways exist for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 guarantees.

Vorkunov also reports that Williamson must be waived by July 15 of each year if the Pelicans decide to part with him before any of the final three seasons.

The Pelicans and Williamson’s agent, Austin Brown, refused to comment, but Vorkunov was able to confirm the details with six league sources.

Of course, the guarantees will only come into play if New Orleans decides to release Williamson before the end of the contract, and rival executives believe that would only happen in “extreme circumstances,” Vorkunov adds. Despite all the injury concerns and conditioning questions, the former No. 1 overall draft pick remains a supremely talented player, averaging 22.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this season while shooting 57.8% from the field.

John Hollinger of The Athletic provides an in-depth look at why the Pelicans are unlikely to part ways with Williamson before the deal expires, projecting that it would require a full-scale rebuild because of the difficulty of finding another star to replace him.

Cavs Rumors: Mitchell, Rubio, Allen, Bickerstaff

December 20th, 2023 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

The injuries that will sideline Darius Garland and Evan Mobley well into the new year aren’t expected to significantly impact the Cavaliers‘ plans for this season, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says the franchise remains committed to its core of Garland, Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, and Jarrett Allen.

As Fischer writes, there has been “incessant chatter” among rival executives about the possibility of Mitchell leaving Cleveland in 2025, when he can opt out of his current contract, with speculation about his next destination focusing on the New York teams (the Knicks and Nets). However, those whispers haven’t affected the Cavaliers’ resolve to this point, Fischer explains.

In the event that the Cavs begin to struggle and slide down the standings without Garland and Mobley available, it’s possible the front office will have to reconsider its approach to the trade deadline. But Koby Altman and his group seem to have the “sturdy backing” of ownership, per Fischer, so the odds appear slim that a substantial change in direction will occur in the coming weeks.

Here’s more from Fischer on the Cavaliers:

One move Cleveland might make on or before the February 8 deadline would involve Ricky Rubio, according to Fischer, who suggests the team would like to turn Rubio’s salary slot into a player who could contribute this season. The veteran point guard announced in August that he’d be pausing his career to focus on his mental health, and there has been no indication that the “pause” will end anytime soon, so he’d be a buyout candidate if he’s traded to a new team, Fischer adds.
While the Cavs have no plans to trade him, Allen would receive “plenty” of interest from playoff contenders if he were ever made available. League sources tell Fischer that the Pelicans are one team that has long had its eye on Allen and would be interested if Cleveland is willing to listen to offers down the road.
There was some noise early in the season about whether J.B. Bickerstaff‘s hold on his head coaching job might be slipping, but Fischer hears from sources that the Cavs don’t seem to be in any rush to make a change on the sidelines. Injuries to Garland and Mobley may actually reduce the pressure on Bickerstaff, Fischer points out, since expectations for the club will be tempered without those two young stars in the lineup.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Smart, Cuban, Rockets, More

December 19th, 2023 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

With Ja Morant poised to return from his 25-game suspension on Tuesday night vs. New Orleans, the Grizzlies‘ season is on the brink, as Morant’s absence and a plethora of injuries have created what Derrick Rose referred to as a “quagmire situation,” according to Baxter Holmes and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. As Holmes and MacMahon detail, “frustration has simmered” within the organization about the direction of the season, which has opened with 19 losses in 25 games.

But Morant’s teammates were all smiles on Monday as they discussed the point guard’s impending return, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. The club’s top two scorers this season, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., have faced a level of defensive attention they’re not accustomed to, and they’re looking forward to sharing the court with a player like Morant, who will be able to divert much of that attention.

“(Morant) is going to have to deal with that,” Jackson said. “He’s going to have to turn left and turn right and see three dudes so that I can do what I do. He’s an All-NBA, Hall of Fame-type player, so you’re going to have to pay attention and if you do that, we’re going to punish you.”

Although Morant hasn’t suited up for the Grizzlies since April, the club has been ramping up his workload in practice and doesn’t anticipate imposing any real limitations on his playing time in his return, Cole notes.

“He’s going to play pretty significant minutes,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said. “… I won’t anticipate going crazy with his minutes, but I don’t think it’s any kind of restriction.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart, who hasn’t played since November 14 due to a left foot sprain, is getting very close to returning to action, Cole writes in another Commercial Appeal story. “Marcus is really close,” Jenkins said. “… Somewhere in that Indiana (Thursday) and Atlanta (Saturday) time frame, we’re hopeful that he’ll be back in the lineup then.”
Following up on the Mavericks‘ sale ahead of the Board of Governors vote, Marc Stein says on Substack that Mark Cuban will retain a 27% stake in the franchise. Stein indicates that the new owners – the Miriam Adelson/Patrick Dumont group – will therefore have a 73% controlling interest, but there have been conflicting reports on whether every single one of the minority stakeholders are being bought out.
The Rockets‘ closing lineup has been far less predictable than its starting group, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), who examines head coach Ime Udoka‘s tendency to go with the hot hands down the stretch of games. “That’s what I believe in,” Udoka said. “I pretty much said that the day I was hired. Minutes and roles are not going to be handed out. The guys that are playing well and units that are playing well are going to get those minutes. I think everybody knows that across the board.”
William Guillory of The Athletic takes a look at the similarities between Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, two No. 1 picks who were expected to be saviors for their respective Southwest clubs as soon as they entered the NBA, exploring how they’ve dealt with those expectations.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Doncic, Exum, Rose

December 18th, 2023 at 8:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pelicans heated up on their latest road swing, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. New Orleans has gone 3-0 on its latest mini-road trip, and is currently riding a four-game win streak overall. The team returns home Tuesday, for a bout against Memphis.

“The guys are buying into what we are asking them to do,” head coach Willie Green said. “We are staying with it. We are trusting it. We are showing them the pictures when we watch film. We are getting on the floor and going over it again and again. Expressing to them how important it is to play with force, play with pace. Continue to share the ball. Just make the simple plays over and over again.”

New Orleans is currently 16-11 overall on the season. In the crowded West, that record is good for the conference’s seventh seed.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

All-NBA Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been performing at an MVP level this year, opines Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic has steered Dallas to a 16-9 start on the year. His 32.7 points per game rank second in the league, and his 9.1 assists per game place him fourth. He was just named the West’s Player of the Week for his most recent four-game run, in which he averaged 36.8 PPG, 11.5 APG and 8.0 RPG while helped the Mavericks go 3-1.
Mavericks guard Dante Exum has emerged as a critical running mate for Doncic this season, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. “He knows how to play,” Dallas head coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s not judged on his scoring. He’s judged on doing the right thing.” Exum returned to the NBA this season after a two-year stint overseas. While starting the past six contests for Dallas, Exum has been averaging 30.8 minutes per night. Cato applauds the way Exum’s game fits in the Mavericks’ heliocentric offense around Doncic. “We try to attack personnel here (and) it’s working for us, it’s an advantage for us,” Exum said. “If it hasn’t worked for a couple plays, just getting the ball and saying, ‘Alright, getting guys connected, organized into an offense,’ that’s what I can do.”
After departing a 103-96 loss to the Rockets on Friday with left hamstring tightness, Grizzlies reserve guard Derrick Rose is considered week-to-week going forward, reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). When healthy, Rose has been a solid bench contributor for an injury- and suspension-depleted Memphis club, averaging 9.1 PPG (.438/.344/.905 shooting), 3.5 APG and 2.0 RPG in just 18.9 MPG.

Southwest Notes: Zion, Spurs, Popovich, Rose

December 16th, 2023 at 9:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Throughout his NBA career, Zion Williamson has been criticized for his weight, his effort level and especially for his inability to stay on the court. Pelicans teammate Jose Alvarado tells Christian Clark of NOLA.com that Williamson is aware of the criticism and is trying to find ways to channel it into something positive.

“He learned,” Alvarado said. “He’s young still. We got his back. So it don’t matter about all that other stuff. But he hears it. He’s human. We (are) all human. We all in the generation of going on our phones and stuff is going to pop up. He’s responding. That’s a 23-year-old responding to the whole world telling him something he don’t want to hear. Like I said, it’s whatever. We’ve got his back. We tell him. We told him what he needed to hear. All the other stuff, I feel like was pretty unnecessary.”

Williamson became an easy target after New Orleans was embarrassed by the Lakers during the in-season tournament semifinals. Clark notes that TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal said Williamson “does not run hard,” and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith called him “fat.” Alvarado said the team has rallied behind Williamson to help him deal with the outside barbs.

“He’s human,” Alvarado said. “He heard all that noise about that game in L.A. One thing about it: We can get on him. But the whole world, they trying to push him to be great. Obviously, we appreciate that. But f–k all that negative towards him. He’s a human being.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

There was a mixture of relief and celebration as the Spurs ended their nightmarish 18-game losing streak by beating the Lakers Friday night, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Devin Vassell poured in a career-high 36 points in San Antonio’s first victory since November 2. “A hundred percent it didn’t feel like a normal win,” Vassell said. “You see people jumping around on the sideline and everything. … I’m trying to stay composed. But at the end of the day, it’s special. This is a special group.”
Coach Gregg Popovich doesn’t expect the Spurs to pursue a major trade to turn the season around, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “Our focus is not immediate other than individual development and team concepts,” Popovich said. “But if there’s a trade that would make sense both now and for long-term, of course, we look at it. (General manager) Brian Wright and his guys are probably doing that already.”
Hamstring soreness forced Grizzlies guard Derrick Rose to leave Friday’s game, the team tweeted. Rose, who has helped the team weather Ja Morant‘s suspension, managed to play only about eight minutes.