Dell Demps Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Front Office Shakeups Ahead?

March 28th, 2017 at 7:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Disappointing seasons could lead to front office changes for at least five teams this summer, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.

The most obvious team headed for a shakeup is Sacramento, which reportedly wants to position someone above GM Vlade Divac and may have interest in former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie, despite an official statement denying it. There are also ongoing rumors of a rift between Vivek Ranadive and the minority ownership, which has grown frustrated with the way the team has been managed.

Kyler notes that Ken Catanella was hired as an assistant GM last summer, but wasn’t given the power that many expected him to have.

Change may also be coming to these organizations:

Orlando — The Magic seem ready to replace GM Rob Hennigan, with Pistons executive and former Orlando player Pat Garrity as the leading candidate to be offered the job. The Magic had hoped to be playoff contenders after signing Bismack Biyombo and trading for Serge Ibaka, but the new combination never worked out. Orlando is 14th in the East at 27-47, and Ibaka was shipped to Toronto last month. Kyler cites league sources who say several of the Magic’s lower level executives are expecting changes and have started contacting other organizations.
New Orleans — A recent report said coach Alvin Gentry and GM Dell Demps could both be fired without significant progress by the end of the season. Demps may have bought himself more timee with the DeMarcus Cousins trade, but the Pelicans have reached the playoffs just twice during his seven years at the helm. Louisiana native Joe Dumars is close to ownership and is reportedly being considered as a replacement.
Phoenix — The Suns will miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year, and many believe that owner Robert Sarver wants to turn things around quickly. Ryan McDonough has amassed an impressive group of young talent in his four years as GM, but that may not be enough to convince Sarver to keep him.
Atlanta — It’s unlikely that coach/executive Mike Budenholzer or GM Wes Wilcox gets replaced, but several staff additions are expected. The Hawks have been shaken by the loss of free agent Al Horford last season and the possible exit of Paul Millsap this summer, along with a late-season losing streak that may knock them out of the playoffs. More voices may be brought on to help Budenholzer and Wilcox with the decision-making process.

Pelicans Consider Replacing Gentry, Demps

March 15th, 2017 at 5:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans will need “significant progress” over the final four weeks of the season to save coach Alvin Gentry’s job, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.

The organization is more likely to keep GM Dell Demps, but that isn’t guaranteed, Deveney adds.

The Pelicans were considered favorites to grab the West’s final playoff spot after the February 20th trade that brought DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans. However, the team has gone just 4-6 since the deal and sits five games behind Denver with 15 left to play.

A scout tells Deveney “the writing is on the wall” concerning Gentry’s future, but management isn’t demanding a playoff appearance for him and Demps to stick around. The front office understands that a transition period was necessary for Cousins and Anthony Davis to get used to playing together and to change from an up-tempo strategy to a twin towers approach. Cousins is averaging 20.9 points per game in New Orleans, down from 27.8 with the Kings, and his shooting percentage has dropped from 45.1 to 42.1.

Working in Gentry’s favor may be a lack of proven talent in the coaching market. The team is believed to want someone to serve as both a coach and team president, and there may not be anyone available who has merited that dual role.

Gentry, who has one year left on his contract at $3.3MM, faced similar rumors early in the season. A November 13th report said it might be a matter of days until a coaching change after the Pelicans started the season 1-9. However, Gentry was able to get the team on the edge of the playoff race and save his job, at least temporarily.

Gentry has a 57-92 record in nearly two seasons on the Pelicans’ bench, and the team has made the playoffs just once in Demps’ five seasons as GM.

Reaction Roundup: Jahlil Okafor Trade Rumors

February 6th, 2017 at 6:05pm CST by Milo Taibi

Tonight’s flurry of Jahlil Okafor trade rumors appears to have reached a (temporary) conclusion; according to a report from Keith Smith of RealGM, the Pelicans and Sixers missed a 5 PM EST cutoff to complete a trade. Nevertheless, Okafor’s trade availability is no longer in doubt- Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo has reportedly approached eight teams with trade proposals involving Okafor. While details are still emerging, we gathered some takes from around the league on a potential Pelicans/Sixers swap.

Okafor would be a good fit on the Pelicans, Jessica Camerato writes for CSN Philly. Okafor has exhibited flaws on defense, Camerato notes, but the former #3 overall pick would not be tasked with those responsibilities in New Orleans, as Anthony Davis remains the team’s premier rebounder. “Okafor would start at the five, his true position. When he’s paired with Joel Embiid, he’s forced to play the four. A pairing of Davis and Okafor would help spread the floor for Davis and relieve pressure from defenders, who would have to focus on Okafor on the block,” Camerato argues.
Adding Okafor may not prevent the Pelicans from declining, Dan Feldman of NBC Sports warns. “Trading a 2018 first-rounder becomes even more logical for New Orleans when you consider general manager Dell Demps’ seemingly shaky job security. Okafor could help the Pelicans become more respectable in the short term — and if the center doesn’t, Demps might be gone for the 2018 draft,” Feldman writes.
John Reid of NOLA.com implored the Pelicans to “pull the trigger” is they can acquire Okafor for Alexis Ajinca and a 2018 first round pick. The Pelicans sit at 19-32 and have no reinforcements coming back from injury, Reid added.
Pels coach Alvin Gentry had little to say of the trade rumors prior to Monday’s match-up against the Suns. ”Obviously I think at this time of the year all the GM’s are talking back and forth,” Gentry told reporters, including Justin Verrier of ESPN. ”I think with that situation right there, it’s best that you ask Dell. You ask Dell, I don’t want to be misquoted or anything. Probably take it up with him.”
Ajinca found out he was mentioned in trade rumors from Twitter. Ajinca told Justin Verrier of ESPN “I need to play…if my time is up here then we’ll see.”

Pelicans Notes: Team Ownership, Asik, Hill, Jones

February 3rd, 2017 at 8:36pm CST by Milo Taibi

Tom Benson, owner of the Pelicans and New Orleans Saints, reached a settlement with his estranged heirs, Brett Martel of the Associated Press reports. Benson, 89, had sought to prevent his daughter and her children from inheriting shares of each team (more than 90% of the Pelicans’ non-voting stock, according to ESPN). Had Benson not reached a settlement with his heirs, a trial would have been set to take place Monday, February 6. Benson, who bought the Pelicans (then the New Orleans Hornets) for $338MM in 2012, will maintain controlling shares of each team after the settlement.

More surrounding the Pelicans…

Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com praised Terrence Jones‘ pump fake, calling it one of the league’s most unique and effective moves. Jones has enjoyed a stellar bounceback season in New Orleans, averaging 15.7 points with 5.3 rebounds over his last six games. “It’s so damn slow, and it looks just like his shot,” teammate Dante Cunningham said of Jones’ pump fake. “The thing is, you don’t always immediately close out to him, because he’s not necessarily going to kill you with his jump shot, because he’d rather drive and get to the rim. But you watch him and he does it so slowly that you think, ‘Oh, he has to shoot this one,’ so you contest it, but then by the time you get there, he’s still pump-faking.” A free agent-to-be on an affordable contract, Jones is likely to generate interest as the trade deadline approaches.
John Reid of NOLA.com had several interesting observations in his Twitter mailbag. Reid endorsed the idea of New Orleans pursuing Wilson Chandler of the Nuggets, calling him an ideal player to use alongside Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday. Reid lamented the team’s lack of offense, claiming they “just don’t have enough scoring threats on the roster.”
Pelicans GM Dell Demps should be making every effort to unload Tyreke Evans, Alexis Ajinca, and Omer Asik via trade, Reid writes. Additionally, Solomon Hill– inked to a four-year, $48MM contract over the offseason- has not performed up to team expectations. Whereas the team expected Hill to develop into a two-way player, his contributions have largely come on the defensive end.

Southwest Notes: Holiday, Demps, Beverley

October 23rd, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday remains on a leave of absence to care for his wife and newborn daughter, and his representatives have provided an update on the family. In a statement posted on the team’s website, Glushon Management says Lauren Holiday had surgery to remove a brain tumor earlier this month at Duke University Hospital. The couple’s daughter, who was born in September, is “healthy and at home with her family.” The Pelicans have given Holiday permission to remain away from the team for as long as necessary to take care of his family.

There’s more news from the Southwest Division:

Pelicans GM Dell Demps will probably get some time to see if his 11 offseason roster additions can be successful, writes Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. Demps kept his job after the 2014/15 season when the organization fired Monty Williams as head coach, and Duncan doesn’t see this as a make-or-break year. The only exceptions could be if the Pelicans get off to a disastrous start like they did in 2015/16 or if Demps’ contract, the details of which haven’t been made public, expires at the end of the season. New Orleans hired former Hawks GM Danny Ferry as a special advisor over the summer.
The Rockets are preparing to start the season without point guard Patrick Beverley and power forward Donatas Motiejunas, posts Calvin Watkins on ESPN Now. Beverley will have surgery Tuesday on his injured left knee and is expected to be out of action four to six weeks. Motiejunas is a restricted free agent and remains unsigned three days before the team’s opener. “Taking two guys who can play 60 minutes, 30 each, who aren’t here, it’s going to have an impact,” said Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni.
Small forward Troy Williams appears on the verge of earning a roster spot with the Grizzlies, writes Michael Wallace of NBA.com. After going undrafted out of Indiana, Williams signed a two-year deal with Memphis in late July with a $150K guarantee. He was the top preseason scorer among rookies at 13.2 points per game and led the Grizzlies in scoring three times.
D.J. Stephens, who was waived by the Grizzlies Saturday, may opt to play overseas instead of playing for the team’s D-League affiliate, Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal reports (Twitter link).

Pelicans Notes: Davis, Holiday, Cook, Demps

September 24th, 2016 at 10:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans star Anthony Davis said he felt “amazing” this morning after taking part in his first practice since being shut down for the season in March, relays Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Davis, who underwent an ultrasonic debridement on his left knee, participated in all of the practice except for some late conditioning work. He said the problems in his knee and shoulder seem to have been resolved. “Of course, in the beginning when you come back, you’re scared to go up with power or anything like that, to be explosive,” Davis said. “But when I’m out there, I just go. Whatever happens, happens. Today, everything felt great. I’m more explosive than what I was. I’m more powerful. I’m just happy to be back on the court.”

There’s more news tonight out of New Orleans:

Jrue Holiday‘s wife delivered a healthy baby girl this week, according to Matthew Glenesk of USA Today. Holiday has taken a leave of absence from the team to care for Lauren Holiday, who has a benign tumor near her orbital socket and needs brain surgery to remove it. However, doctors didn’t want to perform that operation before the baby was born. The procedure is expected to take place in about six weeks, and there is no timetable for Jrue Holiday’s return to the team.
The Pelicans aren’t concentrating on position as they seek to replace Holiday during his absence, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune. Former Duke point guard Quinn Cook is the latest addition as New Orleans tries to bolster its backcourt. ”We’ve got versatile players, combo guards more than anything,” coach Alvin Gentry said. ”We’re just putting guys in position, playing point and off guard and we brought in another guy who can do both of those. We want guys running the team and playing off the ball.”
An offseason shakeup left the Pelicans with 10 new players for this year’s training camp, writes William Guillory of The Times-Picayune. GM Dell Demps believed changes were necessary after an injury-filled season that saw New Orleans finish 26th in points allowed. “We really wanted to become a better defensive team,” he said. “That was one of our goals heading into the offseason. … We’ve had good defensive players here in the past, but we’re probably gonna put a little more emphasis on it.”

Southwest Notes: Davis, Pondexter, Bogut, Barnes

September 7th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans GM Dell Demps told a group of fans tonight that Anthony Davis should start the upcoming season with no physical restrictions, the team tweeted. The three-time All-Star was limited to just 61 games last season and was shut down in March because of a sore left knee and a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder. Davis had surgery on the knee, but doctors determined no operation was needed on the shoulder. Davis, who was a first-team all-NBA selection in 2014/15, remained productive when he played last season, averaging 24.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per night.

There’s more news from the Southwest Division:

Demps addressed several other players at tonight’s event, including Quincy Pondexter, who was sidelined all of last season and underwent cartilage replacement surgery on his left knee in January. Pondexter had his first full workout today and Demps said, “We are glad to get him back in the fold.” (Twitter link). Demps also said the Pelicans are keeping regular contact with Jrue Holiday as he cares for his ailing wife, and he has the full support of the organization (Twitter link). The GM added that first-round pick Buddy Hield is at the practice court every night (Twitter link) and predicted that second-rounder Cheick Diallo “will become a fan favorite” (Twitter link).
The Mavericks improved defensively at both center and small forward with the addition of Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes, writes ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. In his analysis of every player on the team, Pelton writes that Bogut remains one of the league’s best rim protectors, while Barnes, who is versatile enough to defend power forwards and small forwards, represents a clear upgrade from Chandler Parsons.
This summer’s signings of Nicolas Laprovittola and Patricio Garino show that the Spurs‘ Argentinian pipeline is still active, according to Trevor Magnotti of Upside and Motor. Magnotti says the 26-year-old Laprovittola, who at 6’4″ primarily plays point guard, is probably the better player right now, but adds that Garino has a better shot at making San Antonio’s roster out of training camp. A “power guard,” Garino is only 23 and the author thinks he may be in the Spurs’ D-League plans.

Pelicans Hire Danny Ferry As Special Advisor

June 8th, 2016 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have hired former Hawks general manager Danny Ferry in a special advisor role, reports Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (via Twitter). The club has since confirmed the hiring in a press release.

“I am excited to announce Danny Ferry has accepted our offer to join the New Orleans Pelicans basketball operations staff as a special advisor,” Pelicans GM Dell Demps said in a statement. “Danny’s experience, insight and achievements will be a welcomed addition to the Pelicans as we continue our quest to improve the team.”

Ferry was at the center of a controversy in Atlanta after making racially insensitive remarks while reading a scouting report on Luol Deng during an organizational conference call. That incident ultimately led to Ferry stepping down as the Hawks’ general manager in 2015, but he has been linked to multiple team executive openings since then, including – most recently – the job Bryan Colangelo ultimately landed in Philadelphia.

While the additions of Jerry Colangelo and Bryan Colangelo to the Sixers’ front office ultimately led to Sam Hinkie‘s departure, the Pelicans’ addition of Ferry doesn’t look like a signal that Demps’ time in New Orleans is nearing an end. There was some uncertainty at season’s end about Demps’ future with the Pelicans, but he is expected to remain in his GM role for the coming season.

In fact, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Demps encouraged the Pelicans to hire Ferry, who worked closely with Demps in San Antonio. Scott Kushner of The Advocate adds (via Twitter) that the move was Demps’ decision, since he wanted an advisor with executive experience.

If the Pelicans ultimately do decide to make a change at GM sometime down the road, perhaps Ferry would top the list of potential replacements now that he’s in the building, but that’s just my speculation. As Kushner notes (via Twitter), Ferry won’t necessarily be in the building all that much, since he’ll split his time between New Orleans and Atlanta, where he lives.

Southwest Notes: Smith, Demps, Labissiere, Ulis

May 12th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kenny Smith, a candidate for the Rockets‘ head coaching position, said he had “a great meeting” with team officials, relays Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. Smith sat down with owner Leslie Alexander and GM Daryl Morey for 2 1/2 hours Tuesday at Alexander’s Florida home. “They have a clear vision of what they want to do,” Smith said. “I have a clear vision of what I’d like to do. Sometimes you meet in the middle. Sometimes it doesn’t meet at all, but it was something that we both had to explore, and [are] still exploring.” Smith, who helped bring two NBA titles to Houston in the mid-1990s, said he and the team are “just staying in contact” with each other at this point. He added that he enjoys his job as a TNT analyst and said it would take a fantastic offer to make him leave.

There’s more tonight from the Southwest Division:

The combine in Chicago is “an integral part of the draft process,” Pelicans GM Dell Demps told Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com. Coaches, GMs and other team officials from around the league gather each year to watch prospects display their skills and get to know them on a personal basis. Demps said that contact is vital in preparing for the draft. “Most NBA coaches do not get the opportunity to watch college players during the NBA season [due to the 82-game schedule], so the combine is usually the first time they can watch them play in person,” he said.
The Pelicans spoke with Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
The Spurs and Grizzlies were among the nine teams that interviewed Kentucky sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis, relays Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Seton Hall sophomore point guard Isaiah Whitehead had an interview with the Rockets, tweets Zach Braziller of The New York Post.

And-Ones: Wade, Dragic, Grizzlies, Demps, Suns

May 10th, 2016 at 2:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

An “uneasy tension” exists between Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (video link), but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra today dismissed the notion of any conflict among his backcourt stars, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald relays. Windhorst, in the report that he made before Miami’s win Monday, suggested the root of the issue has to do with who controls the offense, but Spoelstra contends they’ve struck the proper balance. “It’s silly. Goran and Dwyane, not only are they playing much better with each other, which takes time — they’re both aggressive ball-dominant players — but they enjoy each other,” Spoelstra said. “They enjoy when the other guy is able to be aggressive. They want each other to be able to play their games. And it’s getting better. Their lockers are right next to each other … .” Wade will hit free agency this summer while Dragic is under contract until at least 2019.

See more from South Beach amid our look around the NBA:

It wouldn’t be surprising if Heat assistant coach David Fizdale snags an interview for the Grizzlies head coaching job, Jackson writes in a separate piece. Fizdale is on the list of candidates Memphis has compiled for its vacancy, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported Monday.
Pelicans GM Dell Demps and other members of the team’s front office are expected to be in attendance at this week’s draft combine in Chicago, notes Justin Verrier of ESPN.com (Twitter link), a signal that Demps’ job is secure. New Orleans hadn’t formally decided on the executive’s fate as of late last month, when the team postponed a press conference, though all indications are that Demps will stick around, as Brett Dawson and Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate previously reported.
Perhaps no team other than the Celtics is better positioned for the future than the Suns are, The Vertical’s Bobby Marks opines. Phoenix will have three first-round picks this year, assuming Washington doesn’t get lucky in the lottery, and the Heat owe two first-rounders for future seasons as a result of the Dragic trade. The Suns also have draft-and-stash prospect Bogdan Bogdanovic, a former first-rounder, as Marks points out.